Fresh from the success of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 comes the news of a film adaptation of yet another Sega classic. According to a news article by Deadline, a film adaptation of the classic fighting series Streets of Rage is currently underway.
'Streets of Rage' Movie Script Will Be Written by 'John Wick' Creator
According to Deadline's report, the script for the film adaptation will be written by John Wick director and creator Derek Kolstad. In fact, Deadline said that the Streets of Rage screenplay was already written as a spec script. A spec script is a screenplay written without a guarantee of production.
Kolstad recently wrote the heist thriller Just Watch Me, starring Gerard Butler. He also served as a co-executive producer of Disney+'s popular Marvel superhero action film The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He is currently working on the fourth John Wick film scheduled for 2023, which was previously delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic. He also wrote the screenplay for the 2021 action film Nobody starring Bob Odenkirk.
For those who don't know, Streets of Rage is a series of cooperative fighting games. In the game street vigilantes who protect their neighborhood fight gang members, thieves, and sometimes aliens.
There have been Streets of Rage games to date. The first three appeared on Sega Genesis in the early 1990s. In 2020, the series had a revival with Streets of Rage 4 released for modern consoles. The game saw an update of gameplay, taking the co-operative beat 'em up action online.
It also served as the debut of new characters Cherry Hunter, daughter of veteran character Adam Hunter, and Floyd Iraia, a part-cybernetic apprentice of Dr. Zan. Streets of Rage 4 was well-received by game critics. It received the Gold award from the Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu. Polygon also listed Streets of Rage 4 as one of the best games on the Switch for 2021. It was also nominated for Best Action Game at The Game Awards 2020.
Read Also: 'Sonic The Hedgehog 2' Grosses $71 Million During Opening Weekend
Are Video Game Movies the Next Big Thing?
Streets of Rage will be co-produced by Dmitri M. Johnson's dj2 Entertainment and Escape Artists. DJ2 specializes in video-game-to-TV/Motion-Picture adaptations and has helped produce Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Escape Artists also helped launch films such as The Equalizer and The Magnificent Seven.
As of the moment, the film seems to be in the very early stages of its conception, so there are no details yet about the cast, plot, or release window. But it's no surprise for Sega to be releasing another film due to Sonic 2's box office performance, with the film breaking the record for the biggest opening weekend for a video game adaptation, grossing over $71 million.
Video game movies seem to be gaining popularity recently. Uncharted starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg also premiered earlier this year. According to a separate Deadline eport, a film adaptation of the 2020 critically acclaimed game Ghost of Tsushima is also in the works and will be directed by John Wick director Chad Tahelski and will be written by Takashi Doscher, to be released by Sony Pictures.
Other video game movies in the works are BioShock, Jak & Daxter, an unnamed video game film starring the Rock, and the much anticipated animated film adaptation of the Super Mario games, starring Chris Pratt as the beloved Italian plumber.
Related Article: The Ghost Of Tsushima Movie Adaptation Finds Writer
Story posted on GameNGuide
Written by Fred Layno
