It’s official: Sony Pictures will have “Street Fighter” be back in theaters in a couple of years, but without the Philippou brothers at the helm. THR reports that the studio plans to have a new movie based on the Capcom video game franchise ready for a March 20, 2026 theatrical release. Legendary co-develops the film, with Capcom on board as producer. And as for Danny and Michael Philippou? Their exit from the picture earlier this month is schedule-related; the “Talk To Me” directors will stick with A24 for now, with the horror film “Bring Her Back” up next.
READ MORE: ‘Street Fighter’: ‘Talk To Me’ Directors Depart Video Game Film
But back to “Street Fighter.” Sony’s new film will be the first based on the long-running fighting game franchise since 20th Century Fox‘s 2009 film “Street Fighter: The Legend Of Chun-Li.” That film made just $12.5 million of a $50 million budget, with a dismal 3% Rotten Tomatoes rating; surely Sony thinks they’ll manage better than that. “Chun-Li” stars Kristin Kreuk, Neal McDonough, Chris Klein, and Michael Clarke Duncan, among others, and expect none of them to return for Sony’s film. The 2026 movie will be a clean slate for the franchise, with an all-new cast for the game’s collection of fighters.
But it’s not as if any “Street Fighter” film has done well in theaters. The videogame franchise became a global phenomenon after its 1987 debut and its massive 1991 sequel, “Street Fighter II.” However, the 1994 film adaptation starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Raúl Juliá didn’t land well with critics despite making nearly $100 million at the box office. The only other “Street Fighter” adaptation out there? A YouTube live-action web series from 2014 that many consider the most faithful adaptation of the videogame, but that project failed to garner much of an American audience. Maybe the upcoming Sony film will be more successful.
Plot details remain under wraps for the new “Street Fighter” film, but it’ll likely revolve around a group of familiar fighters who travel the globe to stave off the evil plans of series arch-enemy M. Bison. Expect fan-favorites from the games to show up, too: Ryu, Ken, Guile, Chun-Li, Blanka, etc. As for the gaming franchise, it’s still going strong: “Street Fighter 6” hit consoles and PC last year to positive reviews, proving that its formula isn’t broken. But will that translate to box office success in 2026?
That’s up for debate. On the one hand, 2023’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” proved that videogame adaptations sometimes are lucrative properties for Hollywood. On the other, 2021’s “Mortal Kombat,” based on a similar fighting game to “Street Fighter,” didn’t do as well critically and commercially. Still, the three “Mortal Kombat” films so far (including the first adaptation from 1995 and its 1997 sequel) have fared much better than “Street Fighter” at the box office, and a new sequel hits theaters next year. Maybe “Street Fighter” will replicate that relative success.
“Street Fighter” will face off against Amazon MGM Studios‘ “Project Hail Mary” when it hits theaters on March 20, 2026. One imagines Ryan Gosling and directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller will pull out the victory there, but maybe Ryu, Ken, & co. make it a close battle. Only time will tell.