Charles Melton is reportedly nearing a deal to join Lionsgate’s long-awaited live-action adaptation of ‘Naruto,’ with the actor in final negotiations to play fan-favorite character Kakashi Hatake.

Melton, who recently earned an Emmy nomination for his role in Netflix’s ‘Beef,’ is being lined up for the key role in the film, which will be directed by ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton. If the deal closes, Melton would become the first major cast member attached to the adaptation.

Kakashi is one of the most recognizable characters from Masashi Kishimoto’s hugely popular manga, serving as an elite ninja and mentor to Naruto Uzumaki and his teammates Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno. Lionsgate is currently conducting a global search for young actors to portray the three members of Team 7.

‘Naruto’ follows Naruto Uzumaki, an ambitious young ninja who dreams of eventually becoming the leader of his village. Complicating his journey is the fact that he carries the spirit of a powerful nine-tailed demon fox inside him. Kishimoto’s manga was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1999 through 2014 and went on to inspire multiple hugely successful animated series, films and spinoffs.

Cretton will produce the film alongside Jeyun Munford through his Hisako production banner. The filmmaker previously directed Marvel Studios’ ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ and is coming off the enormous $2.2 billion success of ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day.’ Naruto is expected to be Cretton’s next feature, with production currently targeting a start around February 2027.

Melton first gained widespread recognition as Reggie Mantle on The CW’s ‘Riverdale’ before moving into more dramatic film roles. His acclaimed performance opposite Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore in Todd Haynes’ ‘May December’ helped establish him beyond his television breakthrough, while his recent credits have also included Alex Garland’s Warfare, Nicolas Winding Refn’s ‘Her Private Hell’ and Netflix’s ‘Beef.’

The actor also brings genuine martial arts experience to the potential role. Melton is a longtime anime and manga fan and holds a second-degree black belt in taekwondo, having previously competed in the Junior Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.

No release date for the film has been announced.

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