The new Naruto movie just got a big update
A new animated Naruto film edges closer, as Viz Media lines up a panel promising franchise announcements — with a reveal expected to headline.
Looks like Naruto fans are about to have their patience properly rewarded — we’re on the doorstep of a brand-new animated Naruto film, if the latest convention chatter is anything to go by. All signs are pointing to an official reveal at this year’s New York Comic Con, and it’s about time, frankly. Let’s dig into what we actually know (and what’s still firmly under wraps).
October's Big Reveal
Viz Media has confirmed they’ll be hosting a dedicated Naruto panel on 10 October at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York. On the agenda: highlights from the Naruto anime franchise and the ever-growing Naruto Card Game — but make no mistake, everyone expects that first-glimpse teaser for the new film to steal the show. Frankly, it’d be a shock if it didn’t.
At New York Comic Con, the Naruto panel on 10 October is expected to finally confirm a new animated film in the franchise, alongside other surprise announcements.
It’s not your bog-standard panel either. Takeuchi Junko (the Japanese voice behind Naruto himself) and Sugiyama Noriaki (who voices Sasuke Uchiha) are both confirmed for in-person appearances. They’ll be joined by Tominaga Yoshihiko, executive producer at Studio Pierrot — if you’re keeping score, that means cast plus creative plus a Bandai rep all in one place, which is about as official as it gets pre-announcement. That’s a lot of firepower for a panel, suggesting there’s more than a card game expansion at stake.
What's So Big About This?
This is actually quite a notable moment for the franchise. It’s been years — fans have had to wait ages — since we’ve had a new Naruto movie, so the sheer scale of the panel (plus the promise of other announcements) nudges this closer to an event than a standard Q&A. The Naruto franchise isn’t exactly shy on milestones: for those who need reminding, Kishimoto Masashi launched the original manga back in 1999 (yes, that long ago) for Weekly Shonen Jump, wrapping it up in 2014 after a ridiculous 700 chapters. Naruto’s journey from loud-mouthed wannabe to actual Hokage became one of shonen anime’s gold standards.
In terms of numbers, it’s hard to overstate the scale: more than 250 million manga volumes shifted across upwards of 60 countries. The anime kicked off on TV Tokyo in 2002, then went bigger and louder as Naruto Shippuden from 2007 through to March 2017. Hard as it is to believe, it hit its 20th anniversary as a TV series in October 2022. And to top it off, the Naruto cinematic universe already counts 11 theatrical anime films, with broadcasts running in over 145 territories even now.
- Panel date: 10 October, NYCC
- Attending: Takeuchi Junko (Naruto), Sugiyama Noriaki (Sasuke), Tominaga Yoshihiko (Studio Pierrot EP), Bandai
- Global manga sales: 250+ million
- Anime TV launch: 2002 / Shippuden 2007–2017
- Theatrical films so far: 11
With this much legacy in play, you can see why even the whiff of a new animated film is giving the fandom palpitations.