The Street Fighter Movie Just Got A Massive Update

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Summary

  • Kitao Sakurai is the new director for the upcoming Street Fighter movie, bringing his comedic expertise.
  • Incorporating humor in the film will accentuate the flamboyant and absurd nature of the game.
  • Adding comedy to Street Fighter can make characters engaging and boost commercial performance.

As a cinephile eagerly awaiting the next chapter, I’m thrilled to share that next year, the iconic Street Fighter will grace our cinema screens once more! Fresh off the press, an exciting update has emerged, promising a blockbuster experience for fans.

On April 3rd, 2023, it was officially announced that a new “Street Fighter” film was in the works, following Legendary Entertainment acquiring the rights to the franchise from Capcom. Originally, the Philippou brothers were set to direct, but they parted ways with the project around mid-2024. Recently, reports suggest that a replacement director has been found for the movie, which is slated for release in 2026 – an encouraging development given its upcoming premiere.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Capcom and Legendary have appointed Kitao Sakurai as the director for an upcoming project. Sakurai is recognized for his work on The Eric André Show and Netflix’s comedy-drama Bad Trip, where he co-wrote and directed alongside Eric Andre, Tiffany Haddish, Lil Rel Howery, and Allan Graf. Previously, Sakurai has also directed episodes of the live-action Twisted Metal series on Peacock. This series is inspired by the Twisted Metal video game franchise, which revolves around a post-apocalyptic narrative. The show premiered in July 2023 and features Anthony Mackie from Captain America: Brave New World as its lead actor.

As a passionate fan, I’m excited to share that I’m part of the team working hand-in-hand with Capcom and Legendary in bringing the live-action adaptation of Street Fighter to life. Sony will be handling the distribution of this film. The upcoming Street Fighter movie marks the third live-action installment in the franchise, following two previous films: the first released in 1994, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Raul Julia, directed by Steven E. de Souza, and the second, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak and featuring Kristin Kreuk, which hit screens in 2009. While the first movie was a commercial success, it fell flat critically, and the second one was widely panned as one of the worst video game adaptations ever made, both commercially and critically. It appears that Capcom and Legendary are taking a fresh approach for this third Street Fighter film, and I can’t wait to see how they reimagine this iconic franchise!

Director Sakurai is known for his versatility across different genres but is particularly recognized for his comedic touch. Fans can anticipate a movie brimming with action and laughter as a result. The inclusion of humor in Street Fighter makes sense, given the contrast between its lighter tone compared to Mortal Kombat’s grittiness. Known for its vibrant characters like Blanka, Dhalsim, Zangief, and over-the-top special moves such as Hadoukens and Spinning Bird Kicks, Street Fighter offers ample opportunities for humor. In fact, the second film faced criticism for being too serious despite having a rather thin plot.

Additionally, humor effectively enhances character and scene memorability when used appropriately. For instance, incorporating comedy into the Street Fighter series could make its fighters more captivating. Given the inherent wildness of the franchise, introducing comedic aspects would maintain coherence rather than appearing silly. Furthermore, action-comedies tend to outperform action films in terms of commercial success, as demonstrated by movies like Deadpool, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Bad Boys. Here’s hoping that the upcoming Street Fighter film will rectify its previous disappointing performance.

Street Fighter will be released in 2026.

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2025-02-20 16:57