Hollywood screenwriter Derek Connolly is penning the script for a live-action adaption of Sega's fighting game Eternal Champions, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Connolly's credits include the Jurassic World movies, Kong: Skull Island, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Detective Pikachu and the yet-to-be-released Legend of Zelda movie, which is being directed by Wes Ball. He's also working on the script for the upcoming Transformers / G.I. Joe crossover film.
Sega's success with its Sonic movies has clearly emboldened the Japanese video game giant, as it has also inked a movie deal for Streets of Rage and stated that it is open to bringing more of its IP to the big screen.
Even so, Eternal Champions is a pretty deep cut. Released on the Genesis in 1993 at the height of Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat's rivalry, it scored decent reviews and good sales but never spawned a direct sequel. Eternal Champions: Challenge from the Dark Side, an enhanced version released on Sega CD, came in 1995, while the spin-off titles Chicago Syndicate and X-Perts failed to register with the gaming public.
Given that there hasn't been an entry in the franchise for decades, it's debatable that a large enough audience exists for an Eternal Champions flick – but the concept of combatants being pulled together from different points in history is at least a solid foundation for this kind of popcorn romp.
Skydance is the production company involved, with David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger handling that side of things. Rob Ree is executive producing, while Aimee Rivera will act as overseer on behalf of Skydance. Sega's Toru Nakahara will also be on board as a producer.