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 Video Game Movie Finds A New Director

With the movie already on the release schedule, the latest news confirms that Street Fighter has found a new director. Originally, the directing duo of the Philippou brothers (the brains behind 2023’s horror hit Talk to Me) were attached to helm the project, but they suddenly departed. While this was a major setback for the movie, it seemingly hasn’t delayed anything as the film is still on pace to arrive in 2026. Now, Street Fighter has tapped a new director to oversee the project, and Kitao Sakurai has boarded the movie.

Sakurai is still a relative newcomer when it comes to directing feature films, though he is perhaps best known for helming the hidden camera comedy, Bad Trip, starring Eric Andre. It’s unclear how Sakurai’s comedy background will translate to a video game adaptation, especially since so much about the Street Fighter movie is still unknown.

The Street Fighter Movie Release Date

The Video Game Movie Arrives In 2026

Positioning itself as the new H๏τbed 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 H๏τ commodity. With that in mind, Legendary has already placed its new Street Fighter movie on the schedule, penciling it in for a theatrical release on March 20, 2026.

Despite having a release date locked in, 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

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.