What kind of movie will Paramount and Legendary Entertainment‘s “Street Fighter” reboot be: a blockbuster that finally adapts its IP the right way, or a hot mess that not even its massive ensemble cast can save? From the looks of the first trailer for the film that debuted this April, it’ll no doubt be a little bit of both. The tone of Kitao Sakurai‘s movie is wild, cartoonish, neon-soaked, and nostalgic, with its tongue firmly planted in its cheek.
The same may be said for a new clip from “Street Fighter” that premiered today. In it, an imprisoned Ryu, played by Andrew Koji, faces off against one of the video game franchise’s most recognizable characters: the green-skinned, orange-haired, electricity-wielding Brazilian mutant, Blanka. And guess who plays him? Jason Momoa.
Here’s an official synopsis for the action comedy, courtesy of Paramount:
Set in 1993, estranged Street Fighters Ryu and Ken Masters are thrown back into combat when the mysterious Chun-Li recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament: a brutal clash of fists, fate, and fury. But behind this battle royale lies a deadly conspiracy that forces them to face off against each other and the demons of their past. And if they don’t, it’s GAME OVER!
Along with Koji and Moma, “Street Fighter” also stars Noah Centineo, Callina Liang, Roman Reigns, David Dastmalchian, Cody Rhodes, Andrew Schulz, Vidyut Jammwal, Eric André, and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. Other cast includes Orville Peck, Olivier Richters, Hirooki Goto, Rayna Valladingham, Alexander Volkanovski, Kyle Mooney, and Mel Jarnson.
Sakurai directs a script by him and T. J. Fixman for “Street Fighter.” Producers on the film include Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Momoa, Takayuki Nakayama, and Stefan Makhoul.
If the new “Street Fighter” clip, available to watch below, is any indication, then Paramount sees Sakurai’s film as both a big swing and a potential franchise in the making. That’s a delicate balance; will Sakurai and his cast be able to pull it off? Find out when “Street Fighter” hits theaters this Fall, on October 16.
