Hadouken! Legendary is ready to throw down after acquiring the film and TV rights to video game developer Capcom‘s world-famous Street Fighter franchise. With Street Fighter 6 hitting consoles and PC platforms on June 2, now is the perfect time to announce an all-out assault of entertainment inspired by the timeless fighting game. As a part of the deal, Legendary will team up with Capcom on future projects, and our bodies are ready!
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. The Street Fighter franchise has sold 49 million units worldwide, helping to keep the fighting game genre alive and well since the 80s.
This 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 mighty thighs. The Legend of Chun-Li also bombed at the box office, to no one’s surprise.
However, Capcom is living the high life right now with its Monster Hunter and Resident Evil franchises performing like gangbusters with each new release. With Street Fighter 6 on the way, it makes sense for the studio to partner with a significant player in the film and television space. I’ve said it before, and I’ll repeat it, video game adaptations are likely the next step in Hollywood’s plan to mine a medium for all it’s worth. I hope Legendary’s plans for Street Fighter perform better than past attempts to adapt the franchise.
What do you think about Legendary making a deal with Capcom to bring a Street Fighter film, TV series, and other products to the masses? Let us know in the comments below.