Roughly a year and a half ago, we brought you the news that a live-action Naruto adaptation was in the works for Lionsgate. Fans (including me) were understandably apprehensive about the project considering that earlier anime adaptation efforts like the ill-fated Dragonball: Evolution fiasco have not come close to living up to the animated originals. However, with Rupert Sanders' Ghost in the Shell and Adam Wingard's Death Note features due out in 2017, there's hope that Hollywood is on the right track for pulling these adaptations off in a satisfying way.

Today, Naruto fans should have new hope for Lionsgate's live-action adaptation because manga illustrator/writer/creator Masashi Kishimoto is going to be involved in the production. Anime News Network reports as much following this past weekend's Jump Fest. The annual anime/manga exposition sponsored by Shueisha included an appearance from Kishimoto to promote the new Boruto anime series due in April 2017. He also confirmed his involvement in the new Naruto movie.

Here's a look at Shonen Jump's play-by-play from the event:

Unfortunately, we haven't seen the new pre-production art (and I, personally, would love to get a glimpse) but we'll update the article if and when it becomes available. In the meantime, does Kishimoto Sensei's involvement in this project give you hope for its success? Let us know in the comments below!