Sony’s Latest Move Could Spell Trouble For The Upcoming Adaptation

The next Street Fighter movie is in limbo. Sony’s latest move suggests that fans may have to wait for its release for more years instead of expecting it next year.

The anticipated Street Fighter reboot was announced after Legendary Entertainment acquired the film and TV rights to the franchise in April 2023. Shortly after the announcement, Danny and Michael Philippou were in talks to direct the movie, but they departed from the project a year later. The movie has remained in abeyance, with Capcom not announcing any update, including the cast, until February, when major outlets reported that it finally found a director. Kitao Sakurai, a Japanese-American filmmaker, writer, and producer who directed Netflix’s Bad Trip and multiple episodes of Twisted Metal starring Anthony Mackie, was attached to direct the movie. However, it remains unclear when the film will see the light of day and the latest development is troubling.

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Sony has just removed Street Fighter from its theatrical release calendar. It was initially set for release on March 20, 2026. An email from the studio simply stated that the reboot was “Removed from schedule (from 3/20/26).” The recent move could mean that the anticipated live-action adaptation is once again in limbo. This spells trouble for the film, which hasn’t received much attention and has made no major progress since its announcement. An incomplete film could be shelved indefinitely and be canceled for good or be revived later.

On the bright side, not all movies removed from a theatrical release calendar are scrapped. Some are just delayed. For instance, Marvel Studios has occasionally adjusted its release schedule. Blade was originally slated for a November 3, 2023 release, but it was moved to September 6, 2024, and then again to November 7, 2025. However, the film, starring Mahershala Ali, has been removed from Disney’s 2025 calendar. Despite the changes in the schedule, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said they remained committed to the film, giving fans assurance that it would eventually be released. “We are committed to Blade,” Feige said at the D23 Brazil 2024 event. He added that they loved Ali’s take on the character and were figuring out how to fit it with their schedule. Despite the changes, he assured fans that Blade would make it into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Universe). Unfortunately, the same assurance is noticeably lacking regarding Street Fighter‘s production.

The removal of Street Fighter from Sony’s calendar is definitely bad news, especially because there’s little to no progress on the movie. Apart from Sakurai as the director, Capcom hasn’t announced the casting, so there is no telling who else is attached to the project. The lack of definite updates somewhat gives the impression that they aren’t as committed to producing the film and the project may eventually be shelved. Hopefully, we are wrong about this because Street Fighter has enduring popularity and millions of fans worldwide are waiting for its release.

The first film released in 1994, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Raul Julia and directed by Steven E. de Souza, was a commercial success. However, it received mixed reviews from critics. The second movie, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (2009), directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak and starring Kristin Kreuk, was both a commercial and critical flop. It was even considered one of the worst video game adaptations. Fans are looking forward to another Street Fighter movie that will satisfy them. Considering the advancement in technology and Sakurai’s talent in filmmaking, hopefully, the reboot will be materialized.

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