So yeah, Mr. X, I’m thinking I’m back
TheStreets of Rageare headed to the silver screen. Lionsgate has picked up the film adaptation of the beat ’em upStreets of Rage, withJohn Wickwriter Derek Kolstad writing.
This news was reported on earlier this year byDeadline. Today’sconfirmationsees theStreets of Rageproject finding a home at Lionsgate, with Kolstad producing alongside Toru Nakahara. Dj2 Entertainment’s Dmitri M. Johnson, Timothy I. Stevenson, and Dan Jevons are also on board, as well as Escape Artists’ Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, and Tony Shaw.
Dj2 Entertainment is important to note, as the company worked on the recentSonic the Hedgehogfilm series and is also looking to adaptIt Takes Two.
Streets of Ragesaw a bit of a revival, thanks to the 2020 release ofStreets of Rage 4thatwent over pretty well. It’s a classic in the beat ’em up genre, and it’s easy to see how someone behind theJohn Wickseries would gravitate to a property like this.
“When Dmitri first mentioned the idea of cracking aStreets of Ragemovie, I was so immediately freaking in,” Kolstad said in a statementvia Variety. “And to play with Sega? The 10-year-old me is still grinning.”
A new adaptation
This adds another video game to the long list of upcoming video game adaptations. It’s become a popular trend, as productions likeArcaneandSonic the Hedgehoghave worked out pretty well. EvenCyberpunk: EdgerunnersandThe Witcher, based off media properties that existed before their game counterparts,saw booststhanks to theirseries’ successes.
ForStreets of Rage? I’m just hoping for some brawling action with the series’ best. I could easily see a found-family story about a rag-tag crew of fighters working here. And it’s a good excuse to play some moreStreets of Rage, too.
