It's been a little over two years since we learned that Legendary Entertainment has secured an exclusive license to the live-action film and television rights for the iconic Capcom video game franchise Street Fighter.
The studio confirmed that any new projects would be co-developed and produced in conjunction with Capcom, including the feature film that's currently in development.
We've seen the cast of the new Street Fighter take shape in recent months, including Andrew Koji as Ryu, Noah Centineo as Ken, along with Jason Momoa, Orville Peck, and WWE Superstar Roman Reigns in undisclosed roles. Kitao Sakurai (Bad Trip) is directing from a screenplay by Dalan Musson (Captain America: Brave New World).
Today, Deadline (via GameFragger.com) brings word that Callina Liang, who starred in Steven Soderbergh's Presence, has nabbed the female lead role of Chun-Li. She previously starred in Bad Genius, a movie we interviewed her for last year (you can watch that below).
Chun-Li, introduced in Street Fighter II, is the series' iconic female fighter and one of the first playable women in fighting games. A skilled martial artist from China, she uses powerful, lightning-fast kicks, and is driven by a quest to avenge her father's death at the hands of M. Bison, leader of the Shadaloo crime syndicate.
An Interpol officer with a strong sense of justice, her signature moves include the Hyakuretsukyaku (Hundred Rending Legs) and Spinning Bird Kick.
Nexus Point News, meanwhile, has learned that Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson is in talks to portray Balrog, the disgraced boxer and ruthless prizefighter who first made his debut in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior. His descent into villainy saw him become M. Bison's heavy.
Since Street Fighter's launch in 1987, the series has sold over 49 million units worldwide, becoming one of the most well-known and highest-grossing video game franchises of all time.
The franchise continues to spearhead the industry in delivering innovative design and hard-hitting gameplay as the leader in the fighting game genre.
Along with films based on original IP, Legendary has a successful track record for adaptations, including leading video game franchises. Recent titles include the six Academy Award-winning Dune, not to mention multiple entries in its cinematic Monsterverse, and movies like Detective Pikachu and Enola Holmes.
Hollywood has attempted to adapt Street Fighter in the past, including a 1994 movie that bombed. It starred Jean-Claude Van Damme, Kylie Minogue, Ming-Na Wen, and the late Raul Julia among others, while a 2009 effort - Street Fighter: The Legend Of Chun-Li - featuring Smallville alum Kristin Kreuk also flopped.
Video game movies have found greater success in recent years, and if done right, we're sure this version will turn Street Fighter's fortunes around. The games are immensely popular and fans have been waiting a long time for a good movie...here's hoping it fares better than Mortal Kombat, anyway.
Stay tuned for updates on the Street Fighter movie as we have them.