The much-anticipated film adaptation of the iconic video game franchise, Street Fighter, has recently undergone a significant directorial shift, bidding farewell to Danny and Michael Philippou. Gearing up for a theatrical explosion in 2026, Sony Pictures unveiled on Wednesday that the latest cinematic installment, co-produced with Capcom, the esteemed game developer, will grace the big screens on March 20, 2026.
The Legendary film joins the ranks of Amazon MGM Studios' Project Hail Mary, an out-of-this-world extravaganza helmed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, starring Ryan Gosling, set for release on the same day.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Street Fighter's directorial shift was partially attributed to scheduling conflicts, as Danny and Michael Philippou, who helmed the horror hit Talk to Me last year, are now prepping for their A24 film Bring Her Back, starring Sally Hawkins and Billy Barratt.
The Street Fighter franchise embarked on its journey with the arcade fighting game in 1987, followed by the wildly popular Street Fighter II in 1991, and culminated with the release of Street Fighter 6 last year. A previous film adaptation hit the theaters in 1994, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as Guile, Raúl Juliá as M. Bison, and Ming-Na Wen as Chun-Li. Steven E. de Souza's directorial opus centered on a colonel (Van Damme) rallying a group of fighters to liberate kidnapped UN delegates.
In 2009, 20th Century Fox released Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, which failed to captivate audiences at the box office. The film starred Kristin Kreuk as Chun-Li, Neal McDonough as M. Bison, Chris Klein as Charlie Nash, and Michael Clarke Duncan as Balrog.
Last year's The Super Mario Bros. Movie underscored the allure of video game properties on the silver screen, as the Universal animated film raked in over a billion dollars globally. A sequel is set to hit theaters on April 3, 2026, mere weeks after the eagerly awaited Street Fighter release.
