The classic video game series Street Fighter is getting an all-new live-action movie adaptation from Legendary Entertainment, and there are a ton of exciting updates. Developed by Capcom and debuting back in 1987, the Street Fighter franchise is perhaps the most beloved fighting game of all time and helped to popularize the genre throughout its six main installments. The concept of the game is rather simple and pits players against one another in one-on-one duels. Outside the main games, Street Fighter has spawned countless spinoffs and sequels across multiple gaming platforms.

The lucrative video game franchise quickly blossomed into other forms of media, and Street Fighter was expanded into comic books, animated series, and even a live-action feature film in 1994. Street Fighter featured an all-star cast including Jean-Claude Van Damme and Raúl Juliá, but is generally considered one of the worst video game movies of all time despite maintaining a cult following. Various other attempts to bring the franchise to life in live-action have fallen under the radar, but Legendary Entertainment's acquisition of the film and TV rights means another major studio will take a stab at Street Fighter.

The Street Fighter Movie Latest News

The Street Fighter Movie Loses Its Release Date

Just a few months after the video game adaptation landed its new director, the latest news confirms that Street Fighter has lost its release date. Originally, Sony Pictures had the movie penciled in for a March 2026 release, but it has now unexpectedly been removed from that spot. The film hasn't been rescheduled yet, and Sony hasn't given a reason for their decision. This move doesn't bode well for the long-gestating project, though it doesn't mean the movie is canceled either.

The likeliest reason for the decision is that the Street Fighter movie can't be delivered by the original date. This means that the film is probably going to undergo an extensive creative overhaul, especially with director Kitao Sakurai taking over for the departing Philippou brothers. While this might be somewhat disheartening news, it does confirm that Sony is committed to delivering the best product possible, and an extended wait might help save Street Fighter from repeating the mistakes of previous adaptations.

The Philippou brothers departed Street Fighter to focus on their 2025 horror film, Bring Her Back.

The Street Fighter Movie Is Confirmed

The Video Game Movie No Longer Has A Release Date

Positioning itself as the new hotbed for IP-related movies and shows, Legendary Entertainment snatched up the film and TV rights for Street Fighter in April 2023. With video game movies finally starting to turn a profit, and films like The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Five Nights at Freddy's becoming blockbusters, the fighting game franchise is a hot commodity. With that in mind, Legendary quickly placed its new Street Fighter movie on the schedule, originally penciling it in for a theatrical release on March 20, 2026.

Unfortunately, that date was eventually rescinded, and the movie has been taken off the release calendar for now. The Street Fighter movie has largely seemed to stall in the development phase. The Philippou brothers were originally slated to helm the project, but have since departed to focus on their horror films. Though it took a few months, Legendary finally snagged a new director when they hired Kitao Sakurai (Bad Trip). It's unclear how much the project will change under Sakurai's vision, since nothing is really known about Legendary's approach to the video game.

The Street Fighter Movie Story Details

Nothing Is Known About The Film's Story

While the aforementioned Mortal Kombat is known for its bloody kills and over-the-top violence, Street Fighter has always been a bit more cartoonish and fun

Perhaps the trickiest part of adapting a Street Fighter game into a movie is finding the right story to tell. After all, the franchise is somewhat loose on plot and puts all of its effort into amazing fighting mechanics and smooth gameplay. With that said, it's totally unknown how Legendary's Street Fighter will dream up a story, though it will likely involve the annual tournament that serves as the game's framework. The classic character Ryu is the most logical candidate to serve as the movie's protagonist, and he's been the face of the franchise since 1987.

Previous Street Fighter movies include:

Much like the recent Mortal Kombat movie, Street Fighter will need to find a way to modernize the classic franchise without stripping away too much of what makes fans love it. While the aforementioned Mortal Kombat is known for its bloody kills and over-the-top violence, Street Fighter has always been a bit more cartoonish and fun. That tone is crucial to the movie's success, but Legendary will need to walk a fine line in order to avoid the pitfalls of the previous live-action Street Fighter adaptation.