Earlier this year, our friends at Nintendo Life reported on a Deadline exclusive about John Wick writer Derek Kolstad working on a script for a potential Streets of Rage movie.
At the time, Deadline had reported that the Sonic the Hedgehog producer 'dj2 Entertainment' and 'Escape Artists' (known for The Equalizer) were attached to the project, but now it seems that yet another company has joined them in order to bring this adaptation to life.
In a recent article, on the entertainment site Deadline, Lionsgate announced that it had acquired the movie adaptation of Streets of Rage and that it will be shepherding this project, along with the other companies.
Kolstad will still be the person responsible for writing the script and will pick up a production credit, as will Sega’s Toru Nakahara; dj2 Entertainment’s Dmitri M. Johnson, Timothy I. Stevenson, and Dan Jevons; and Escape Artists’ Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, and Tony Shaw. Obviously, no plot elements have been discussed publicly, but the team seems excited at this early stage about bringing the classic beat 'em up to the big screen.
Kolstad told Deadline:
"When Dmitri first mentioned the idea of cracking a Streets of Rage movie, I was so immediately freaking in. And to play with Sega? The 10-year-old me is still grinning.”
Erin Westerman, the President of Production at Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, also told Deadline:
“The game has a rich world and narrative, and we’re thrilled to be reuniting with Derek to bring it to life.”
We'll obviously keep you up to date with any news related to the project as soon as it is revealed, including potential story details and more.