Streets of Rage, a popular franchise of side-scroller beat ’em up video games from the 1990s, will officially be getting adapted to the silver screen. The games, developed by Sega, will be adapted into a movie by Derek Kolstad, writer of the John Wick movies, and Lionsgate, who’s also working on an adaptation of the Borderlands video games.
Released for the Sega Genesis in 1991, the first Streets of Rage game lets players control Adam, Axel, or Blaze, all ex-cops who have decided to use their fists against a crime syndicate headed by Mr. X. The game, divided into eight levels, requires players to fight a group of up to 12 enemies to progress through to the next level – each character has up to 40 moves. The game’s environment includes a host of makeshift weapons like glass bottles and pipes, along with food and other power-ups. A sequel to the first game, Streets of Rage 2, was released in 1992, followed by Streets of Rage 3 in 1994.
The Streets of Rage series of games was one the most popular video game franchises of the 90s, according to Deadline. The series garnered attention for its co-op multiplayer playstyle, as well as featuring a techno soundtrack from Yuzo Koshiro, known for his work on Sonic the Hedgehog and Gage. The long-awaited Streets of Rage 4 was released for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC in 2020 and sold 1.5 million copies almost immediately, according to Playstation Lifestyle.
Behind the ‘Streets of Rage’ Movie Adaptation
The idea for a movie adaptation of Streets of Rage was first announced in April 2022, with Sonic the Hedgehog producer dj2 Entertainment and Escape Artists signing on to produce the adaptation. Timothy I. Stevenson, Dan Jevons, and Dmitri M. Johnson will act as the film’s producers for dj2, along with Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, and Tony Shaw for Escape Artists; Derek Kolstad, the creator of the John Wick films, was responsible for writing the script.
In a statement regarding the Streets of Rage movie, Kolstad told Variety, “When Dmitri first mentioned the idea of cracking a ‘Streets of Rage’ movie, I was so immediately freaking in. And to play with Sega? The 10-year-old me is still grinning.”
Toru Nakahara, the producer of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise and the new Sonic Prime, added on behalf of Sega, “Lionsgate is one of the most dynamic studios in the entertainment industry today. We look forward to working with them, Derek, and our all-star producers to bring this compelling IP to life.”
Lionsgate has also agreed to produce the film with some of the studio’s other projects, including a film adaptation of the Borderlands games, as well as John Wick 4 – written by Kolstad and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
More information on the Streets of Rage movie adaptation by Derek Kolstad – including a cast list – will probably become available as the movie enters production.
