SEGA’s Shinobi Movie in Development And The Perfect Director Is Attached

Sam Hargrave is helming a big-screen adaptation of SEGA’s Shinobi video game franchise. Universal Pictures has become the go-to studio for successful video game movies. 2023 saw the releases of Illumination and Nintendo’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Blumhouse’s Five Nights at Freddy’s, which were distributed by Universal and based on video game properties. Next up from Universal is Shinobi, an adaptation of the arcade game from the 1980s. Ken Kobayashi (Sunny, Move On) is writing the screenplay that will seemingly star Joe Musashi, the ninja behind the Shinobi games. There’s no word on if Shinobi will be an animated or live-action flick.

Hargrave’s resume includes the two Extraction movies for Netflix. The movies star Thor actor Chris Hemsworth as the black ops mercenary Tyler Rake, and are some of the most successful original films for the streamer. The first Extraction holds the record for the most-watched original movie in Netflix’s history, with Extraction 2 reaching the top of the Netflix charts shortly after its release.

Last year came news that SEGA would be revisiting popular games like Jet Set Radio, Crazy Taxi, Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, and yes, Shinobi. SEGA noted in a press release that these games are all in varying stages of development and will be released over the “next several years.” Shinobi was described as “a series that utilizes ninja shuriken, ninjutsu, special attacks and more to defeat enemies in a mix of side-scrolling action and challenging environments.”

“In recent years, Sonic the Hedgehog has forged new paths for SEGA, bringing the franchise to life and reaching new audiences in ways we had only dreamed of in the past. Building off that success, we are digging into our legacy and reimagining several franchises to bring these games to more audiences around the globe,” Co-COO of SEGA Corporation and CEO of SEGA of America, Shuji Utsumi, said in a statement. “Today’s announcement is just the start of our initiative. First and foremost, our ambition will be to create great games with memorable characters and worlds. We hope fans of all ages will look towards our future with anticipation as we release these projects in the coming years.”    

Of course, it remains to be seen whether Shinobi will replicate the numbers of The Super Mario Bros. Movie or Five Nights a Freddy’s, or even the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise at Paramount Pictures. But if Shinobi does find an audience, SEGA would be wise to capitalize with some new video game content based on the property.