A fresh challenger has emerged as the director for the upcoming Street Fighter live-action film.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kitao Sakurai, best known for his work as the writer, director, and executive producer of the offbeat comedy show The Eric Andre Show, has been tapped to direct the latest film adaptation of Street Fighter for Legendary Entertainment.
Capcom is reportedly highly involved in the production, and the movie is set for release on March 20, 2026.
This marks the newest attempt to bring the Street Fighter universe to the big screen, following in the footsteps of the 1994 film that featured Jean-Claude Van Damme as Guile, Ming-Na Wen as Chun-Li, and the legendary Raul Julia as M. Bison—a film considered a cult classic, even if it didn’t win over critics at the time.
There’s no word yet on casting, but fans can likely expect a roster of familiar Street Fighter characters to appear.
Earlier, Talk to Me directors Danny and Michael Philippou were attached to direct, but they left the project last summer. The hiring of Sakurai, with his background in absurdist comedy, suggests that Legendary may be taking the film in a more unconventional, possibly even more humorous direction. As someone who appreciates the cartoonish aspects of Street Fighter, this change excites me.
For now, you can dive into Street Fighter 6, which just introduced its latest fighter, Mai Shiranui.