Street Fighter

The "Street Fighter" video game series has been one of the most successful beat 'em ups ever for over 30 years - now Hollywood is making a new attempt to bring the legendary fighters to the big screen. After the first film adaptation from 1994 was remembered as a trash classic, the new edition with a prominent cast and close collaboration with game developer Capcom is set to provide a breath of fresh air. The Philippou brothers ("Talk to Me") were originally slated to direct, but after their departure, Kitao Sakurai ("Bad Trip") took over. The new adaptation is therefore likely to take a more humorous, comic direction - in keeping with the over-the-top tone of the original.

The focus is particularly on the cast: Jason Momoa takes on the role of the green muscle monster Blanka, while Callina Liang will be seen as Chun-Li and David Dastmalchian as the villain M. Bison. They are joined by Andrew Koji as Ryu, Noah Centineo as Ken and rap legend 50 Cent as boxer Balrog. Wrestlers such as Cody Rhodes (Guile) and Roman Reigns (Akuma) also strengthen the cast, complemented by Orville Peck as the masked Vega and Vidyut Jammwal as Dhalsim. The diversity of the actors and actresses reflects the international orientation of the game and promises thrilling fight scenes.

One thing is clear: the film must meet the high expectations of gaming fans and appeal to a broad audience at the same time. With Capcom as a partner, a colorful cast and the chance to translate iconic special attacks into spectacular action sequences, "Street Fighter" could manage the balancing act between fan service and blockbuster entertainment.