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It’s been a minute since I have put down some Intel on the site (life has been hectic what can I say?) but with news that Universal Pictures has enlisted former stunt pro turned filmmaker and extraction helmer Sam Hargrave to direct a live action Shinobi film, I had to break radio silence. Diehard fans know that Shinobi is a bestselling Sega video game franchise that tells the story of a modern-day Ninja fighting hordes pf baddies with his lethal and signature skill set. Hargrave, of course, has earned his action filmmaking cred by directing the first two Extraction movies for Netflix starring Chris Hemsworth which are considered action cinema gold.
Plot details are nonexistent but Variety, who broke the word said that the film will probably concern “protagonist Joe Musashi as a modern-day ninja who confronts evil.” The first Sega Shinobi game debuted in 1987 as an arcade game but has since morphed into a blockbuster franchise culminating in 14 sequels that can now be played on consoles. Marc Platt and Hargrave will adapt the game to the big screen (or little one if this goes to Netflix) with Ken Kobayashi (Sunny, Move On) penning the screenplay.
Hargrave has a slew of projects on the horizon including the John Cena led Matchbox live action film based on the iconic toy line. There’s also the live action adaptation of the graphic novel Kill Them All which tells the story of an “elite female assassin, who, after finding out she is going to be ‘terminated’ by the criminal syndicate she’s been loyal to, decides to take them out first. Joining forces with a hard-drinking ex-cop, she embarks on a relentless action-packed assault through the 15 floors of the Syndicate’s Headquarters. Her ultimate target is the Boss, with whom she has a complicated past.“
Hargrave is also planning a third Extraction film with Hemsworth set to return and already has an idea for Tyler Rake’s next adventure.
If you want to have some fun, google Hargrave on my site and see the laundry list of other projects that the in-demand director has been linked to in the past.
We all know what Hargrave can do with action design onscreen and having him take over a martial arts infused franchise with Ninjas is a surefire slam dunk. If iconic Ninja master and actor Sho Kosugi isn’t part of the film, I will surely be disappointed.
Lock N Load right here for more Intel to hit on Sam Hargrave’s Shinobi!
