The director of the 2.45 billion dollar Spider-Man film signed a new Sony deal with no Spider-Man 5 in it — he is doing Naruto next
Destin Daniel Cretton's three-year deal is with his company Hisako Films. His live-action Naruto starts shooting in the first half of 2027.
If you had your hopes up for a flurry of Spider-Man 5 news, here’s a reality check from the studio end. Destin Daniel Cretton, fresh off that ridiculous box-office run with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, has just inked a shiny new three-year deal with Sony—except, amusingly, every detail is about everything but the next Spidey film. Let’s get into what’s actually happening behind the headlines, and why you shouldn’t expect Cretton to leap straight from one webbed blockbuster to the next.
The New Sony Pact—What’s Actually In It?
Sony’s gone in for the long game with Cretton by signing him and his company, Hisako Films, for a three-year development deal. That means the next few Sony flicks with his name attached will probably come via Hisako, where he’ll be working closely with Jeyun Munford, the company president. But—big but—there’s no signed commitment for Spider-Man 5 anywhere in this arrangement. Sony may want him back, but there’s nothing on paper for the next adventure with Peter Parker just yet.
“Brand New Day” raked in over $2.45 billion globally and smashed the US box office, clearing $945 million stateside and grabbing the #1 all-time domestic spot.
The box-office success with Brand New Day is exactly why Sony’s eager to stay in business with him, but it doesn’t guarantee he’ll be the architect for Spidey’s next swing through New York.
Everybody’s Saying the Right Things
Now, in press-land, Cretton’s already been fielding questions about his new Hollywood home base. It won’t surprise you to learn he was quite civil about it, with plenty of back-patting for the studio heads involved in Brand New Day. But he managed to say a lot about working with Tom Rothman, Sanford Panitch, and the wider Sony team, without actually saying whether he’s returning for Spider-Man 5. Here’s his own take on the partnership:
Here’s how Cretton addressed the deal: "I had the best time making Brand New Day with Tom Rothman, Sanford Panitch, and their team, and I’m so excited to tell more meaningful stories that people can experience in theaters around the world."
Sony bosses of course had lovely things to say as well—Sanford Panitch talking up Cretton’s 'vision and storytelling', and Tom Rothman calling him a 'creative partner', which is just the standard industry way of saying 'we like what you did, so let’s keep you busy'.
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What’s Next—And What Isn’t
Despite Sony’s public enthusiasm and this multi-year commitment, there is still no announced release date for Spider-Man 5, and no formal attachment for Cretton as director. If you’re wondering why, it might have something to do with his next project; he’s already lined up to tackle a live-action Naruto adaptation for Lionsgate, due to kick off production in the first half of 2027. In other words, if you’re a betting sort, you could probably safely wager Spidey won’t be swinging back to screens under Cretton’s direction any time soon, at least not until the orange-jumpsuited ninjas are out of the way.
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