Lionsgate's live-action adaptation of Naruto will be getting a rewrite from Jon and Erich Hoeber, the scribes behind the comic book-inspired movies Red and Red 2. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the duo -- who also wrote Warner Bros.' upcoming shark flick Meg starring Jason Statham -- will work alongside the manga's creator Masashi Kishimoto, who is involved with production.

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Debuting in 1999, the manga told the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who dreamt of becoming the Hokage, the ninja acknowledged as the leader and protector of the village of Konoha. The fantasy-adventure concluded in November 2014 with the 72nd volume, and has sold more than 200 million copies in print worldwide. It inspired spinoff manga, two anime series, 10 animated films and several video games and novels. Naruto's story is currently continuing both in manga and in anime with his son Boruto, who was introduced in the 2014 animated feature The Last: Naruto the Movie.

The film will be directed by VFX artist-turned-director Michael Gracey, who has been attached to the project since 2015, and whose upcoming movies include The Greatest Showman on Earth musical for Fox and the Elton John biopic Rocketman. Former Marvel Studios head Avi Arad is producing via his Arad Productions banner.