Lionsgate is ready to hit the mean streets and consume floor chicken dinners for Derek Kolstad‘s adaptation of the SEGA video game Streets of Rage. Kolstad, who created the John Wick franchise, is writing the rough-and-tumble adaptation based on the ’90s 2-D beat ’em-up brawler.
Brady Fujikawa and Jon Humphrey oversee the project for Lionsgate, with Shuji Utsumi and Toru Nakahara supervising for Sega. Dmitri M. Johnson manages dj2 Entertainment’s involvement, with Tony Shaw leading for Escape Artists.
“When Dmitri first mentioned the idea of cracking a Streets of Rage movie, I was so immediately freaking in. And to play with Sega? The 10-year-old me is still grinning,” said Kolstad.
“The game has a rich world and narrative, and we’re thrilled to be reuniting with Derek to bring it to life,” added Erin Westerman, President of Production at Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.
Before you roll your eyes at the thought of Streets of Rage providing a rich world with complex characters, remember that Nakahara produced the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise and acts as the producer for Sonic Prime. Sega’s Blue Blur is a quick money-maker on the silver screen and game consoles, lending weight to Streets of Rage‘s success. Additionally, Streets of Rage provides the perfect setup for a sprawling action story filled with intriguing enemies and charismatic heroes. Who doesn’t want to see brawlers like Axel Stone, Blaze Fielding, Cherry Hunter, and Adam Hunter kicking ass and taking names?
Streets of Rage follows a group of vigilantes that fight their way through the city. In addition to being filled with violent criminals, the vigilantes also pursue an evil mob boss. While cleaning up the streets, the characters encounter various gangs and stumbling blocks throughout their journey.
I used to play Streets of Rage in roller rinks and pizza parlors before owning the game series on consoles. Streets of Rage gets the 2-D beat ’em-up formula right in many regards. I hope that magic also translates to the big screen.
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