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Boruto -Naruto the Movie- Film's Boruto, Sarada Cast Confirmed

This year's 20th issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine is confirming on Monday that Yūko Sanpei will star as Boruto Uzumaki and Kokoro Kikuchi will star as Sarada Uchiha in the upcoming Boruto -Naruto the Movie- film.

The issue is also revealing that theaters across Japan will begin showing a teaser for the film on April 18.

The Japanese website Cinema Today had posted a full poster (pictured below) for the film on Monday that had listed the same main cast members, but the website changed the image soon after so that the cast credits were omitted.

Kikuchi previously played the young Boruto in The Last -Naruto the Movie-.

Original Naruto manga creator Masashi Kishimoto is credited with the original work, script, character design, and as the chief production supervisor for the film. Hiroyuki Yamashita (Naruto Shippūden episode director, Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie animation director) will direct the film and Ukyō Kodachi (Chaos Dragon, Neppu Kairiku Bushi Road) is collaborating with Kishimoto on the script.

The film will open in Japanese theaters on August 7.

Kishimoto will launch Naruto Gaiden: Nanadaime Hokage to Akairo no Hanatsuzuki (Naruto Spinoff: The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Spring Month), the Naruto spinoff manga mini-series, on April 27 in the combined 22nd/23rd issue of Weekly Shonen Jump.

Boruto -Naruto the Movie-, the upcoming film sequel to the Naruto manga and The Last -Naruto the Movie-, will tell the story of [Highlight white text to read spoilers] Boruto (Bolt), Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyūga's son who appeared in the 700th and final chapter of the manga. Kishimoto noted, "I conceived a story in which Boruto and [Sasuke's daughter] Sarada appears. Sasuke and Sakura also appear." He also conceived of Boruto's special fighting move.

The main Naruto manga by Masashi Kishimoto ended in Weekly Shonen Jump on November 10 after 15 years of serialization. However, the magazine had revealed then that "a newly budding Konoha story" would begin this spring. An art exhibition and a stage play are also debuting this spring.

The 20th issue of Weekly Shonen Jump is also revealing more information about the art exhibition that is slated for April 25-June 28 in Tokyo and from July 18-September 27 in Osaka. The exhibition will include new illustrations that Kishimoto created just for the exhibition, and a display corner with models, clips, and other photos to give more background about the series. The exhibition will also sell a Michi guidebook for 1,300 yen (about US$11) that will include a long dialogue between Kishimoto and One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda.