“The Harder They Fall” and “The Book of Clarence” filmmaker Jeymes Samuel has been set as director of the film adaptation of the classic SEGA arcade game “Streets of Rage” at Lionsgate.
The 1991 side-scroller follows several ex-police vigilantes – Axel Stone, Blaze Fielding, and Adam Hunter – trying to rid the fictional American metropolis of Wood Oak City of a crime syndicate run by the mysterious Mr. X that has corrupted its local government.
That essentially involved them walking in one direction, beating the crap out of anything that moves. The games in the series were noted for their fun tone and electronic dance music soundtracks by Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima.
The film adaptation was first teased back in 2022 when “John Wick” creator Derek Kolstad was penning the script. Today news, straight from Lionsgate, indicates “Sonic the Hedgehog” scribes Pat Casey and Josh Miller will now write the project, taking over from an earlier draft by Kolstad.
Lionsgate President Erin Westerman says in a statement: “We and our partners at SEGA knew that Streets of Rage demanded a bold filmmaker. Jeymes Samuel’s visceral and explosive style—not to mention his signature use of unforgettable music—is perfect for audiences both familiar with and new to the series. We are so excited for how he will bring his own memorable take to this beloved video game IP.”
Producers include Kolstad, Toru Nakahara, Dmitri M. Johnson, Michael Lawrence Goldberg, Timothy I. Stevenson, Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, and Tony Shaw.
Source: Lionsgate
