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Well here’s some news that will hopefully bode well for the future of live adaptations of the best selling CAPCOM fighting game Street Fighter. It appears that Legendary Pictures, the company behind the illustrious Monsterverse featuring Godzilla and King Kong, have recently acquired the live action movie and television rights to the property which has been dormant for several years after a history of failed attempts at the box office.
The only real success to a live action Street Fighter project besides the ANIME that treated the franchise with respect came in 2014 when a web series called Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist helmed by martial arts expert and filmmaker Joey Ansah appeared. It was a stripped down and bare bones series that was eventually turned into a feature length movie that was released on home video. A subsequent sequel, Street Fighter: Resurrection was also unveiled which featured Kickboxer reboot franchise star Alain Moussi. Both series features impressive fight choreography and action but Ansah said goodbye to the project when behind the scenes chaos began to reign.
There is the 1994 tongue in cheek Street Fighter flick that starred JCVD and the late, great Raul Julia and it has gone on to reach cult level status throughout the years. It’s a fun movie for genre fans but it took liberties with characters, miscast key roles (Damian Chapa as Ken, really?) and went light on the martial arts action to the point where it almost seemed geared to adolescents. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a fan but it had its issues. The other film is Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li…and well, we just won’t speak of that movie as it nearly killed any more prospects of ever getting a live action treatment again.
According to a report in Deadline:
All projects will be co-developed and produced in conjunction with Capcom, including the feature film in development.
There is no info on the film that is in development but we can only hope that this acquisition of the property will finally give fight film fans a big budget Street Fighter flick worthy of the name. Here’s an idea for those that are developing the movie. Cast the right people in the beloved roles, stay true to the story and above all, respect the action set pieces while hiring a fight coordinator that is worthy. Oh, and probably hire a stunt professional to helm seeing as that trend is gold right now.
I’m sure that many of you out there have already started your Expendables worthy wish list of actors and actresses that should star in the movie. I have a few ideas up my sleeve and maybe will reveal a cast in the future.
Lock ‘N’ Load right here for more to come as we are your destination for everything action and Street Fighter!!!
I think Joey Ansah could return to the Street Fighter project instead of saying goodbye, after the Phillipou Brothers left the project, Ansah could step in and do the Street Fighter movie.