Key facts
- Lionsgate is developing a film adaptation of the '80s video game Streets of Rage.
- Jeymes Samuel is set to direct the film.
- Pat Casey and Josh Miller are writing the screenplay.
- The original Streets of Rage game debuted 35 years ago.
- The game's narrative follows ex-police officers fighting a crime lord named Mr. X.
The classic '80s side-scrolling beat-em-up video game, Streets of Rage, is set to receive a film adaptation, 35 years after its initial arcade debut. Lionsgate has secured the rights, with Jeymes Samuel, director of 'The Harder They Fall,' attached to direct. The screenplay will be penned by Pat Casey and Josh Miller, who previously wrote the Sonic the Hedgehog films. The original Streets of Rage, released in 1987, featured a thin narrative about ex-police officers battling a crime lord named Mr. X in a neon-lit city, drawing inspiration from '70s TV cop shows like Starsky and Hutch and American buddy-cop movies. While Derek Kolstad, known for the John Wick franchise, was previously in talks to write the adaptation, the rights holders opted for the team familiar with Sega game adaptations. The genre has seen mixed success in recent film adaptations, but the combination of an accomplished director, experienced game adaptation writers, and a beloved vintage intellectual property offers hope for the project.