SEGA aims for another video game adaptation smash hit with their next project, Streets of Rage, led by John Wick creator Derek Kolstad. The film is a long time coming; SEGA announced a Streets of Rage adaptation alongside several other properties back in 2014 after creating the entertainment company Stories International, but none have come to fruition yet. The beat-'em-up video game centered on a group of former police officers fighting their way to take down a vicious crime syndicate, accentuated by a vibrant electronic dance music soundtrack and exciting side-scrolling action.
While the story could have easily fit the late '80s to early '90s style mold of action movies, extended media only included comics and a novella released within the three years covering the debut of Streets of Rage (1991) and its two initial sequels (1992 and 1994). Then, after 25 years, Streets of Rage 4 came out to unprecedented success and warmed the hearts of franchise fans. Despite the affection for the exuberantly-scored brawler, the film adaptation never took off until now.
Following Sonic the Hedgehog 2's massive box office success, Deadline reports that the Street of Rage movie is moving forward from a spec script by John Wick's Kolstad. SEGA will trust original Sonic producers dj2 Entertainment and Equalizer producers Escape Artists to produce. There does not appear to be a director or cast attached to the project yet.
Video game adaptations seem to have finally hit their stride, with Uncharted and Sonic 2 breaking ground for the medium and feature films for Ghost of Tsushima and It Takes Two in the works from Sony and dj2, respectively. While Streets of Rage is not necessarily a contemporary video game phenomenon like those others, it is still one of SEGA's most popular franchises (that isn't Sonic). After the Sonic sequel's monumental performance in theaters, this movie announcement comes at the perfect time, and there is perhaps no better modern filmmaker to write it.
Kolstad's John Wick franchise is perhaps the modern-day equivalent of a massive '80s action franchise, full of slick fight choreography, flashy visuals, and a killer instrumental soundtrack. Those elements already exist in Streets of Rage, so Kolstad should have no problem adapting the video game to the big screen if he maintains that innate understanding of dazzling action filmmaking. Most importantly, he will be able to capture that nostalgic feeling of enjoyment at the arcade with a fun movie if his previous work is any indication.
Source: Deadline