David S. Goyer, The Arena‘s Erik Feig, and Robert Kirkman‘s Skybound Entertainment are teaming up for adaptations of the landmark SNK fighting video game “Fatal Fury,” as Hollywood seems to be scrambling to get their mitts on rights to various games in a similar arms race we previously saw with comic books in the 2000s. In the wake of “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” crossing a billion dollars at the global box office, there is a huge incentive for production companies and studios to keep scooping up games for adaptation.
That news hails from The Hollywood Reporter, and the development deal will also feature platform shooter”Metal Slug” along with “Art of Fighting” and “Samurai Showdown” (other popular fighting games). The projects are being looked at for films, television, anime, and manga, which should allow some very inventive works in the near future based on those video game properties.
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Goyer (“Foundation,” “Man of Steel,” “Batman Begins”), most recently behind Apple TV‘s “Foundation” series, is said to be writing a script for a “Fatal Fury” feature film, while “Reptile” screenwriter Grant Singer is tackling a “Godfather”-like script for a “Geese” movie, focusing on Geese Howard, the criminal bad guy from the “Fatal Fury” games. We have to note that Goyer is no stranger to the martial arts genre after overseeing the “Blade” trilogy, a key element of the early Marvel Comics franchise, which was inspired directly by Hong Kong action films.
Kirkman, a comic book creator, made HUGE waves with his comic “The Walking Dead” being mined by AMC into a billion-dollar success story, and has more recently amassed a large audience at Prime Video by adapting his mature superhero comic book, “Invincible.” He’s been tasked to oversee the animated series, “Fatal Fury: The Vow” (possibly heading to YouTube).
Feig’s credits as a producer include “Together,” “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” “Theater Camp,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” and Eli Roth‘s “Borderlands,” the latter of which was mostly panned by audiences/critics after a disastrous production with Tim Miller (“Deadpool”) enlisted to complete reshoots.
We can’t say we’re entirely shocked by more fighting games getting the film and television treatment. “Mortal Kombat II” was unleashed back in May with Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema already developing a script for “Mortal Kombat 3,” and Legendary‘s “Street Fighter” remake is coming out in October from director Kitao Sakurai, leaning into the absurdity and colorfulness of the universe.
- Christopher Marc
- Christopher Marc
- Christopher Marc
- Christopher Marc
- Christopher Marc
- Christopher Marc
