“Street Fighter” is finally kicking it to the small screen — without the help of a game console, that is.
Mark Gordon’s Entertainment One (eOne) has locked in a deal to develop, produce and finance a TV series adaptation of the popular global video game franchise, the company announced Friday.
The project will draw on the game’s celebrated “World Warrior” story-arc as a jumping off point, featuring four protagonists: Ryu, Ken, Guile and Chun-Li. Together, the group fights to take down M. Bison, the evil mastermind who runs Shadaloo, a global criminal organization. Though on different journeys, the heroes’ paths will cross as they are drawn into the World Warrior Tournament, a competition conceived by M. Bison to find the most powerful and capable fighter in the world. On this journey, they must draw on their strength, skills, intelligence and loyalty in a battle to survive and emerge as the “World Warrior.”
Joey Ansah, Jacqueline Quella and Mark Wooding — the minds behind the live-action web series and subsequent film “Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist,” — will executive produce. eOne is handling international distribution sales.
“Street Fighter is a global tour de force franchise, having garnered immense worldwide commercial success and built a vast devoted fanbase that has only grown through its 30 year legacy. We are thrilled to be teaming up with Joey, Jacqueline and Mark, who are already so deeply connected to this brand, to bring this adored story to television audiences everywhere,” said Gordon, eOne’s president and chief content officer of film, television and digital. “A particular strength of Street Fighter is the wide range of ethnically diverse characters and powerful women featured in the game. It will allow us to build an inclusive and engaging TV universe.”
Developed and published by Capcom, the “Street Fighter” video game franchise has sold over 40 million software units since its initial arcade release in 1987. The latest installation in the franchise, “Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition,” is available now for PlayStation 4 and PC.
“After a long search, guided by the team behind Assassin’s Fist, we are delighted to be partnering with a company with the outstanding TV experience of Mark Gordon and eOne. They have the credentials to help us launch a faithful adaptation of Street Fighter as a major TV series,” Yoshinori Ono, Capcom executive producer for “Street Fighter,” added.