Over the past few years, we have seen a rise in the popularity of films and TV shows being based on video game properties. The latest game franchise to be receiving a film adaption is Streets of Rage – with Lionsgate helming its distribution.
As reported by Deadline, Lionsgate has acquired the rights to produce a film based on the popular SEGA brawler Streets of Rage. The film will be written and produced by John Wick writer Derek Kolstad while being overseen by Shuji Utsumi and Toru Nakahara on behalf of SEGA.
Speaking on the film, Kolstad said “when [dj2 Entertainment's Dmitri M. Johnson] first mentioned the idea of cracking a Streets of Rage movie, I was so immediately freaking in. And to play with Sega? The ten-year-old me is still grinning.”
Toru Nakahara served as producer for the highly successful Sonic the Hedgehog films, and in discussing this latest collaboration, said “Lionsgate is one of the most dynamic studios in the entertainment industry today. We look forward to working with them, Derek, and our all-star producers to bring this compelling IP to life.”
Finally, Johnson revealed that “I've wanted to make a ‘Streets of Rage' film since I was twelve years-old. This has shaped up to become a ‘dream project' alongside a ‘dream team.”
While it will likely be quite a while before we see any more information on this film, it does seem as though the Streets of Rage IP is being handled with care by fans of the series itself. Hopefully this shows through in the final product.
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KitGuru says: Are you excited for a Streets of Rage film? What do you want to see from it? Would you want it to be animated or live action? Let us know down below.