Paramount has released the trailer for their unhinged version of “Street Fighter.”
Honestly, I’m genuinely surprised by how good the trailer looks — it’s way better than expected. I love that it’s set in the early ’90s. I’m still not sure what a “street fighter” even is, but hey, can’t win ’em all.
No adaptation of this video game should ever take itself seriously — looking at you, JCVD— and this Kitao Sakurai-directed film looks like one big, trashy, highly stylized spectacle. The film leans into an absurd, campy tone rather than trying to be serious. I read someone describe this as “a fan film with a Hollywood budget” — I agree. Visually, the film seems to shift between heavy neon colors and candy-colored visuals, depending on the character.
The cast is as eccentric as it gets: Eric André, David Dastmalchian, Cody Rhodes, 50 Cent, Jason Momoa, Andrew Schulz, Orville Peck, Roman Reigns, Andrew Koji, Noah Centineo, Kyle Mooney, and Callina Liang.
Here’s the official synopsis:
“Set in 1993, estranged Street Fighters Ryu (Andrew Koji) and Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) are thrown back into combat when the mysterious Chun-Li (Callina Liang) recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament: a brutal clash of fists, fate, and fury. But behind this battle royale lies a deadly conspiracy that forces them to face off against each other and the demons of their past. And if they don’t, it’s GAME OVER!”
Sakurai, the man behind the hilarious Netflix comedy “Bad Trip,” is directing after the Philippou brothers decided to step down from the project in 2024 and instead helm “Bring Her Back.” Maybe that wasn’t too bad an outcome. Sakurai seems to have found the right tone here — I just can’t imagine the Philippous directing something like this.
Sony Pictures was originally set to distribute “Street Fighter” on March 20, 2026, under its deal with Legendary, but that deal expired in 2024, and Sony removed the film from its 2025 release calendar. Soon after, Paramount Pictures took over distribution under a new deal with Legendary.
“Street Fighter” is now set for a theatrical release on Oct. 16, 2026.
Quentin Tarantino has released ten films, but which one is his masterpiece? A critics’ poll I started back in 2024, and left sitting in my drafts ever since, is currently deadlocked between two films.