This has been a big year for video game adaptations. With titles like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Mortal Kombat II, and Iron Lung already out, fans have been treating to a wide spectrum of game adaptations. However, it isn’t slowing down, as we still have Resident Evil, The Angry Birds Movie 3, and Street Fighter to look forward to before the year closes. That last film, Street Fighter, is of particular interest to many, thanks in large part to its zany cast, but also due to the pitch-perfect trailers that showcase a fun balance of zaniness and excitement.
During my recent interview with Street Fighter 6 director Takayuki Nakayama and producer Shuhei Matsumoto, I asked about the team’s involvement with the rapidly approaching adaptation. “I’ve been super involved in the making of the Street Fighter movie,” Nakayama says. “I’ve been involved in the script-writing and worked closely with the director, Kitao [Sakurai]-san. I even had a chance to go to the production studio and monitor that as well. I’ve been there from the get-go.”
For Nakayama, nailing the tone was of the utmost importance. “The fighting aspects are going to be badass and serious in tone, but I also want to get the humorous vibe, and also try and get the tone of how things were when Street Fighter II was alive and active, since it takes place during that time. It’s not something I want people to overthink. It’s a fun movie. It’s a great popcorn movie. Just go there and enjoy the show!”
One of the main attractions of Street Fighter is its wide-ranging cast. Whether you’re talking about David Dastmalchian as M. Bison, 50 Cent as Balrog, Jason Momoa as Blanka, or Cody Rhodes as Guile, the all-star cast of huge personalities was shocking upon first reveal but, at the same time, oddly perfect in many ways. For Nakayama, it’s the three main characters who are his favorite castings.
“Ryu, Ken, and Chun… they are all great, especially Ryu: Andrew Koji,” Nakayama says. “He had a lot of respect for the series and the original game. He always had this, ‘What would Ryu do?’ mentality, and tried to get into his mind. Cody Rhodes, who plays Guile, was super adamant about playing this particular role. He really wanted to be Guile. Cody’s child was born during production of the movie and he obviously wanted to be with his family, but his wife told him, ‘This is your dream role. You’ve got to be there!’ As soon as the child was born, they FaceTimed and the entire staff came to say hi and congratulate him. It felt like a family to him.”
Street Fighter is set to arrive in theaters on October 16. You can see the latest trailer below.
