Published Jul 13, 2026, 11:30 PM EDT
Angel Shaw is a Lead Writer and Critic on ScreenRant's TV team, covering new-release and classic TV shows across all major streaming platforms. She has been a writer with ScreenRant since 2022 and specializes in Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and fantasy.
Angel holds a bachelor's degree in language interpreting and is passionate about all things culture and communication—especially in how it relates to popular media throughout history (from Shakespeare to Friends to Game of Thrones).
Naruto is finally getting another chance to compete with One Piece. While both of these anime are among the most popular shonen of all time, they have found success in different ways. One Piece emerged as a manga series first, having been initially published in Japan for the first time in 1997. The Naruto manga followed just a few years later in 1999. The respective anime adaptations came next, and just a handful of years later, One Piece premiered on US screens in 2004, and Naruto made its Western home debut beginning in 2005.
As far as the timeline goes, these two projects were neck and neck in those early days. However, One Piece didn't immediately resonate with US audiences in the way Naruto did. While both anime were massively popular in Japan, it was the latter that first became a cultural phenomenon in the United States. Masashi Kishimoto's masterpiece joined the likes of Pokémon and Dragon Ball Z in this regard. However, all good things must come to a close, and as Naruto's popularity in the States waned, One Piece's mainstream hold only grew.
In 2026, the One Piece anime is still ongoing, and Netflix has dived into a highly successful and marvelously mainstream live-action adaptation. Meanwhile, Naruto has settled into a more niche entertainment thread with its sequel series, Boruto: Naruto Next Generation. There isn't much competition anymore, but that is all about to change. The time is finally approaching for Naruto to get its own live-action adaptation, and it's all but guaranteed to put up a pretty great fight.
A Major Hollywood Naruto Adaptation Can Put This Franchise Back On Top
Live-action anime adaptations have traditionally been nightmares, but One Piece proved that the whole idea can actually work. It's very encouraging for the live-action Naruto movie, which was first announced way back in 2015. It seemed that the project was stuck in development hell, never actually making it to our screens. However, it was recently confirmed that Lionsgate still has its Naruto movie in the works, and writer-director Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) is officially at the wheel.
Even more exciting is the news that Lionsgate and Cretton are officially casting Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, with a global call for auditions announced in July 2026. It's a sign that things are moving forward—this is really going to happen. Moreover, this new Naruto won't just be a Netflix show or a direct-to-streaming film. Rather, the movie is expected to have a global theatrical release. It's a major Hollywood project, and given the overwhelming success of the original anime in the United States, we can expect this premiere to be a pretty big deal.
So, while One Piece never went anywhere and has only grown in momentum in the United States, the release of the live-action Naruto movie may knock it down a peg for the first time in at least a decade. There will be real competition here, and assuming nostalgia lures even casual viewers into theaters, we can give a fair guess regarding which anime adaptation will gain the most traction.
What the Naruto Movie Can Learn From Netflix's One Piece Show
CASEY CRAFFORD/NETFLIXWhile it seems likely that Naruto will once again gain more mainstream attention in the United States than One Piece, it's interesting to consider the fact that this may only be possible because of Netflix's live-action adaptation. It's likely no coincidence that the Naruto movie was in development hell for so long. Live-action adaptations of beloved anime haven't traditionally been popular. It's tough to blend the gritty realism of traditional cinema with the over-the-top campiness of anime without turning off one audience or another. Still, One Piece proved it could be done.
Netflix's One Piece show truly is something remarkable. The series fully embraces the charm of anime and layers it with realism rather than trying to wipe it away entirely. The show is colorful, loud, and absolutely ridiculous, yet very well handled and visually stunning. Lionsgate needs to take a similar approach with Naruto. This world must read on-screen as anime brought to life, not as anime remade. If the new film looks to One Piece to see how it's done, then it should have no real issue stepping into the throes of competition once again.
English (US) ·