Charles Melton, fresh off an Emmy nomination for Netflix’s “Beef,” is reportedly in final negotiations for one of the franchise’s most recognizable characters: Kakashi Hatake. The news was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
What Role Would Charles Melton Play?
Melton is said to be closing in on the role of Kakashi Hatake, the elite ninja mentor to the story’s young heroes and one of the most recognizable characters in the franchise. A separate search is still underway to cast the lead role of Naruto himself. Lionsgate had no comment on the casting when reached.
About the ‘Naruto’ Movie
The film adapts Masashi Kishimoto’s manga series, which followed Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja aiming to lead his village while carrying the spirit of a nine-tailed demon fox inside him. The manga ran in Japan’s Weekly Shonen Jump from 1999 to 2014 and later spawned multiple long-running anime adaptations that aired for years on Cartoon Network and Disney XD.
Destin Daniel Cretton is attached to direct. He’s currently riding the success of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” which has crossed $2 billion at the global box office and ranks among the highest-grossing films ever made. Cretton also directed Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” Production on “Naruto” is targeting a start around February 2027.
Avi Arad, Ari Arad, and Emmy Yu are producing through Arad Productions alongside Jeremy Latcham, with Cretton producing through his own banner, Hisako, alongside Jeyun Munford.
Charles Melton’s Career So Far
Melton first broke out playing Reggie Mantle on the CW series “Riverdale” before moving into more prestige projects, starting with Todd Haynes’ “May December” opposite Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman. His other credits include Alex Garland’s “Warfare” and Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Her Private Hell.”
He’s also a longtime anime and manga fan and holds a second-degree black belt in taekwondo, having competed in the Junior Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, giving him a background that lines up unusually well with a martial arts-heavy franchise like “Naruto.”
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