Naruto animated film returns after a twelve-year gap

A new Naruto animated film is on the way — the first in twelve years. Variety first reported on September 9, 2026 that the "NARUTO: What’s Next?" panel at New York Comic Con would include an announcement about a new Naruto animated film and its worldwide premiere, according to vviptimes' coverage of the report. That makes the October 10, 2026 showcase the biggest moment for the franchise’s original animated continuity since the TV series ended in March 2017.

The panel is scheduled for Saturday, October 10, 2026, from 5 to 6 p.m. EDT on the Empire Stage at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, and it will stream live worldwide on the official NARUTO / BORUTO YouTube channel, according to Anime News Network’s report on the official press release. In Japan, the stream runs from 6 to 7 a.m. JST on Sunday, October 11, 2026. The date carries a wink for longtime fans: the release notes it falls on the title character’s birthday.

The same stage will also reveal details of a new limited TV anime series in production at Studio Pierrot, the studio behind the original run. Anime News Network reported the project was officially underway on September 28, 2026. Appearing on stage are Junko Takeuchi, who has voiced Naruto in Japanese since 2002, and Noriaki Sugiyama, the voice of Sasuke Uchiha, alongside Pierrot Films executive producer Yoshihiro Tominaga. Their presence is the clearest signal that both projects center the original generation rather than moving the spotlight further onto Boruto. For more franchise screen news, visit our anime and animation topic page.

Naruto animated film: the timeline from 2002 to the October 2026 reveal

Masashi Kishimoto’s manga began serialization in Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1999 and ran to its 700th chapter in 2014; collected volumes have sold more than 250 million copies across over 60 countries and regions, according to the official release. The TV anime premiered on TV Tokyo in 2002, continued as Naruto Shippuden from 2007, and concluded in March 2017. Eleven theatrical anime films carried the story to the big screen, the most recent landing in 2014. No animated movie has followed since — a gap of more than a decade.

The anniversary years kept the franchise visible without new animation. In March 2023, four special episodes remaking key early scenes with modern techniques were announced for the anime’s 20th anniversary; the studio postponed them in August 2023 to improve quality, and reports in 2026 confirmed production had finished, with a release planned for late 2026. Meanwhile Boruto: Naruto Next Generations went on hiatus in 2023, with its continuation adapting the Boruto: Two Blue Vortex manga confirmed in production under a new seasonal model. Looking further ahead, the broadcaster confirmed in May 2026 that it has "several projects planned" for the franchise’s 25th anniversary in 2027, calling it "the beginning of a new stage."

Limited series, open-ended sequel, or Hollywood movie — what each project is

The word "limited" is doing real work here. Unlike the original show’s open-ended weekly run, the new TV anime is a self-contained arc with a defined scope, separate from Boruto’s ongoing story — a format closer to modern prestige anime seasons than to the hundreds-of-episodes marathons the franchise was built on. That shift mirrors how the studio now produces its biggest titles: planned seasonal runs finished before broadcast, the same approach it used for its recent Bleach revival.

The film stands apart from a second, unrelated project: a live-action Naruto movie in development at Lionsgate, with Destin Daniel Cretton attached to direct, according to Hypebeast’s coverage. The animated film, by contrast, will carry the story of the original manga continuity by Masashi Kishimoto, according to the vviptimes report. One is a Japanese animation project from the team that made the original; the other is a Hollywood adaptation. Fans have waited through years of rumor for the animated side to move, and the October showcase is the first time the licensor, the studio, and the original voice cast will share a stage to lay out what comes next.

How to watch the reveal free

You do not need a convention badge. The full hour streams free on the official NARUTO / BORUTO YouTube channel at 5 p.m. EDT on Saturday — 2 p.m. on the West Coast, 11 p.m. in Central Europe, and early morning in Asia — with a replay expected afterward. Expect first-look footage from the film, the first promotional video for the card game due in 2027, and what the release materials describe as surprise announcements about other media developments.

To catch up before the panel, Naruto and Naruto Shippuden stream on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Netflix in select regions, while the sequel is on Crunchyroll and Hulu, according to vviptimes. And while you wait, another long-running anime is on pause too — read why the One Piece anime’s Elbaph cliffhanger has to wait.