Twisted Metal director Kitao Sakurai puts his quarters up as the new director of Legendary and Capcom’s Street Fighter movie.
To live is to fight! To fight is to live! To step up as the director of Legendary’s Street Fighter movie is more potent than a Shoryuken to the chin! Can you do me a favor? Stop thinking about Chun-Li’s hypnotic thighs and signature head stomp (Yosokyaku) for a few moments while I tell you about Kitao Sakurai and his mission to direct a new Street Fighter movie.
Kitao Sakurai, brave enough to direct 62 episodes of The Eric Andre Show and Peacock’s Twisted Metal series, takes on directorial duties for Street Fighter from Talk to Me filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou. Based on the iconic fighting video game series from Capcom, Street Fighter tells the story of world warriors and their quests for victory, redemption, and pride.
Street Fighter is one of the most beloved fighting game franchises in history. The first game in the series, Street Fighter, hit arcades in 1987, followed by Street Fighter II in 1991. I was there, man. For both of them! I remember going to Nathan’s Famous restaurants to play the original, and it was a madhouse. People of all ages hooted and hollered around the Street Fighter cabinet as Ryu and Ken duked it out. There was something special about Street Fighter from the start, and the franchise grew with each iteration. I’ll never forget the first time I unleashed Blanka’s electric attack or Chun-Li’s Hundred Lightning Kicks. What a time to be alive!
The Street Fighter franchise has produced countless special editions, remakes, sequels, and spinoffs. It has sold 49 million units worldwide, helping to keep the fighting game genre alive and well since the 1980s.
The plot for Legendary’s Street Fighter movie remains a mystery. Still, the central theme revolves around a global fighting tournament organized by M. Bison, the leader of the evil organization Shadaloo.
Legendary’s Street Fighter relaunch is not the first time the Street Fighter franchise is moving to big and small screens. In 1994, a Street Fighter movie starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Kylie Minogue, Ming-Na Wen, and the late Raul Julia came to theaters. The film embarrassed the Street Fighter brand, and fans rarely talk about it without doubling over with laughter. To double down on the Street Fighter disaster, 20th Century Fox released Street Fighter: The Legend Of Chun-Li (2009), starring Kristin Kreuk as the mistress of pain with aspirational legs. To no one’s surprise, the Legend of Chun-Li also bombed at the box office.
Street Fighter remains one of the hottest properties in the video game space. It is always a main attraction at EVO, the ultimate fighting game tournament, with cash prizes awarded to the best players in the business. Kitao Sakurai will come up against many blowbacks if he fumbles the Street Fighter ball. Still, if Twisted Metal is any indication, he knows how to have fun while telling stories packed with larger-than-life personalities.
Are you excited about Kitao Sakurai becoming the director of Legendary’s Street Fighter? Let us know in the comments section below.
