Gamers who also love going to the movies may be feeling particularly spoiled by the number of adaptations hitting theaters in recent years. From a brand new take onResident EviltoDetective PikachutoUncharted, there’s just no shortage of games that have made their way to the screen with some big names attached. Sega fans were likely excited to finally see Sonic the Hedgehog in a movie, but the vintage Sega titles getting the movie treatment don’t stop there.
According to Deadline, the next classic Sega game hitting big screens will be the classic brawlerStreets of Rage. The project originated as a spec script written by John Wick creator Derek Kolstad. So far, there are no details about possible directors, cast, or release dates.Kolstad’s most recent project wasNobody, which placedBetter Call Saulstar Bob Odenkirk in the role of unlikely action hero. Kolstad has also worked with Marvel Studios as a co-executive producer forthe Disney Plus seriesThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
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Streets of Ragefirst hit the video game scene all the way back in 1991as a side-scrolling beat-em-up for the Sega Genesis. The simplistic story followed three playable cop characters, Adam, Axel, and Blaze. These heroes are tasked with taking down a crime syndicate run by the not-so-cleverly named Mr. X (not to be confused with the character of the same name fromResident Evil 2). The game was a huge success and was followed up by two more sequels on the genesis. After a long hiatus, the series was revived in 2020with the release ofStreets of Rage 4.
While it might be hard to imagine any sort of movie-length plot being derived from this type of game, the same could have been said about the side-scrolling platformerSonic the Hedgehog. However, both movies adapted from those games have seen box office success and positive reception from audiences. This may be due to the star power ofJim Carrey, who plays the villain Dr. Robotnikin both films, but it proves that vintage games can make for decent movies. TheStreets of Ragemovie will also be produced by dj2 Entertainment, the company behind the Sonic films.
Plus, having Derek Kolstad working on the movie is a huge benefit. Kolstad is responsible for one of the most famous and well-received action franchises of the last ten years withJohn Wick(which is still going strong witha fourth film and two spinoffs on the way). It will be interesting to see how much of that franchise’s brutal action will make its way intoStreets of Rage.
