Eric Andre Show’s Kitao Sakurai to Direct 2026 Street Fighter Movie Adaptation

by Annika March 13, 2025

Acclaimed filmmaker Kitao Sakurai, known for The Eric Andre Show, is set to direct the adaptation of Capcom’s classic video game Street Fighter for Legendary Entertainment. The feature film, co-developed and co-produced by Legendary and Capcom, will hit the screens on March 20, 2026.

Eric Andre Show’s Kitao Sakurai to Direct 2026 Street Fighter Movie Adaptation

– Filmmaker Kitao Sakurai, known for his work on The Eric Andre Show, has been selected to direct Street Fighter, a movie adaptation of the iconic video game by Capcom, with a planned release date for March 20, 2026.
– Legendary Entertainment and Capcom are jointly developing and producing the film while Sony provides the release.
– Street Fighter, one of the most enduring fighting video game franchises, began in 1987, with the latest installment, Street Fighter 6, winning the award for best fighting game at the 2023 Game Awards.

Kitao Sakurai, renowned for his roles as writer, director, and executive producer of The Eric Andre Show, has been selected to direct Street Fighter, a feature film based on Capcom’s popular video game, by Legendary Entertainment.

Capcom is heavily invested in the adaptation, working hand-in-hand with Legendary Entertainment in developing and producing the film. The release date for the movie has been set by Sony for March 20, 2026.

As one of the longstanding fighting video game franchises, Street Fighter got its start in 1987 as an arcade game. It took the arcade fighting game scene by storm with Street Fighter II, released in 1994, with its groundbreaking first offering of character choices and fighting techniques. This video game shifted the dynamic of one-on-one gameplay. In 2023, Street Fighter 6, the latest franchise release, won the prestigious 2023 Game Awards title for best fighting game.

Hollywood has undertaken an adaptation of Street Fighter on two prior occasions, including a 1994 version with Jean-Claude Van Damme that initially underperformed but later gained a following among cult movie enthusiasts.

A distinct interpretation of the Street Fighter was designed by Australian twin filmmakers, Danny and Michael Philippou, known for their successful horror film, Talk to Me.

Sakurai, in recent times, reunited with Andre for the comedy film Bad Trip, which he both co-wrote and directed. The movie, distributed via Netflix, also included stars Tiffany Haddish and Lil Rel Howery in its cast.

In addition to his directorial projects, Sakurai also serves as an executive producer for the second season of Beef, an A24 and Netflix collaboration. He also directed the pilot and multiple episodes of the upcoming Amazon Prime Video series Butterfly, featuring Daniel Dae Kim, and several episodes of Peacock’s video game-based, post-apocalyptic series Twisted Metal.