Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson and comedian Andrew Schulz are the latest to join “Street Fighter,” the upcoming film adaptation of the famed Capcom video game franchise at Legendary Entertainment.
According to THR, Jackson will play Balrog – the disgraced boxer turned bodyguard of the villain for the film.
The villain is presently unclear, but expected to be either traditional franchise baddie M. Bison (rumored to be played by Walton Goggins) or the powerful Akuma (WME superstar Roman Reigns). Jackson is reportedly deep into training for the part and will be doing his own stunts for the picture.
Meanwhile, Deadline reports that Schulz will play the cocky and semi-satirical character Dan Hibiki in the film.
They join an increasingly eclectic cast for the project that includes Jason Momoa as the green-skinned/orange-haired Brazillian beast Blanka, Callina Liang as Interpol officer Chun-Li, Andrew Koji as martial artist Ryu, Noah Centineo as Ryu’s friend Ken, and country singer Orville Peck as clawed bullfighter Vega.
No word as yet on what other iconic characters from the games will make the jump, but the likes of stretchy Indian yogi Dhalism, buff Russian wrestler Zangief and Japanese sumo E. Honda have yet to be announced.
Kitao Sakurai (“The Eric Andre Show”) is directing the feature which begins production in August in Australia. It will mark the third attempt at a big screen adaptation following the 1994 film with Jean-Claude Van Damme and Raul Julia, to the Chun-Li centered second film starring Kristin Kreuk.
