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I’ve pretty much filed this one under the movies we will never see get made (which may be a good thing) but Deadline is reporting that the long gestating live action adaptation of Street Fighter has found a new director. Legendary Pictures is shelling out the money this time around and after Talk To Me filmmakers Danny & Michael Philippou dropped out, the studio has found a new helmer in Kitao Sakurai who will now direct the latest adaptation which has seen many fail before.
Sakurai is known for his previous work as a writer, director, and executive producer on The Eric Andre Show and multiple episodes of Twisted Metal which another video game adaptation that has streamed on Prime. He will now direct the latest Street Fighter adaptation which is still set to release next year. Many have failed so let’s see how Sakurai does with his attempt.
For those of you that aren’t educated in Street Fighter, the property is a Capcom video game franchise that revolves around a horde of expertly trained martial artists who wage empty handed battles against one x other. The game was first introduced in 1987 and has gone on to become a blockbuster franchise that has spawned comics, Anime, movies and more.
The plot for this latest creation is too secret but normally the synopsis follows soldier Guile and his fight against the dreaded M. Bison who is the head of the erased Shadaloo Organization. Guile recruits the most lethal fighters to help him combat Bison and put a stop to his tyranny across the globe.
Subsequently, the new Street Fighter film does have a release date of March 20, 2026 so hopefully production will roll soon with casting announcements. The date will probably change in the future but as of now it still stands.
From my previous posts:
Street Fighter hasn’t had the best luck in adapting the video game to the big screen to say the least. 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.
There is no other info on the film that is in development, but we can only hope that fans will finally get a faithful movie worthy of the Street Fighter 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 and action design while hiring a fight coordinator that is worthy.
They didn’t listen to me in hiring a director with stunt world ties so hopefully this still bodes well for the project as I’m eagerly awaiting a solid adaptation of the property. Lock n Load and stay tuned…
SOURCE: Deadline
