Street Fighter Movie Director Discusses Tone of Upcoming Adaptation

The film will combine nostalgia for old action movies with absurd humor.

Kitao Sakurai, the director of the new Street Fighter movie adaptation, has discussed his approach to the project. According to Sakurai, the creators wanted to move away from the classic video game adaptation formula from the very beginning:

“Everyone wanted to create a film with a distinct style and approach that didn’t look like a typical video game adaptation. I was brought in to do something unconventional, and they genuinely let me do my own thing,” Sakurai said.

Kitao Sakurai

The choice of director aligns with that vision. Sakurai has previously worked primarily on comedy projects, including the absurdist The Eric Andre Show and the Twisted Metal series based on the Twisted Metal franchise, though Street Fighter will serve as his first major theatrical feature film.

The director named the home movies he shot in childhood with a friend while trying to imitate Jet Li action films as one of his sources of inspiration:

“I wanted to keep that sense of fun and daring, where you don’t worry about what other people think. I hope we managed to combine nostalgia with something fresh.”

Kitao Sakurai

The film is set in 1993. Years after a falling out, Ryu and Ken Masters will reunite at the World Warrior tournament, where they are invited by Chun-Li. A conspiracy by M. Bison is hidden behind the competition, forcing the former friends to confront each other and deal with their own pasts.

Ryu is played by Andrew Koji, Ken Masters by Noah Centineo, Chun-Li by Callina Liang, and M. Bison by David Dastmalchian. The film will also feature Cody Rhodes as Guile, Jason Momoa as Blanka, and many others. Street Fighter is scheduled to premiere on October 16, 2026.

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