An adaptation of Sega’s Streets of Rage video game series is currently in development. According to sources for Deadline, the project is in the works from Sonic the Hedgehog producer DJ2 Entertainment, as well as Escape Entertainment. DJ2 is also currently working on an adaptation of the video game It Takes Two. A script on spec for Streets of Rage has been written by Derek Kolstad, the creator of the John Wick franchise, and writer of Nobody. Kolstad’s work should give readers an idea of the tone that the film might be going for, but there have been no further details about the adaptation at this time.
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The Streets of Rage franchise first debuted on Sega Genesis in 1991. A side-scrolling beat ’em up franchise, Sega released sequels in 1992 and 1994. The trilogy received strong critical acclaim, but the series completely disappeared for more than 25 years after the release of Streets of Rage 3. In 2020, LizardCube and DotEmu revisited the franchise with Streets of Rage 4, bringing the series into the modern era. The game released on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, while a mobile version is slated to debut next month. Streets of Rage 4 has found strong critical and commercial success, and that likely drove interest in a live-action film!
It will be interesting to see how the Streets of Rage film adapts the source material. It seems like a safe bet that fans can expect to see series stars Axel Stone and Blaze Fielding, but the four games have introduced a number of other characters that could also appear. In the ’90s, Kick-Ass creator Mark Millar wrote a pair of comics based on Streets of Rage that could also be used for inspiration.
With both of the Sonic the Hedgehog films proving to be quite successful for Paramount, it’s no surprise that we could see more Sega franchises coming to the big screen. Hopefully, Streets of Rage will prove equally successful!
Are you a fan of Sega’s Streets of Rage series? Would you be interested in a movie? Let us know inthe comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
