Entertainment · Gaming · 1 hr ago
Street Fighter Director Says Film Embraces the Game’s ’90s Style
Director Kitao Sakurai says the new Street Fighter film aims to match the games closely rather than make their world realistic.
The film draws on Street Fighter II’s colorful, exaggerated designs, including Guile’s unusually tall blonde hair.
Sakurai, who grew up in Japan and the United States, remembers playing the game as a child.
He says a vibrant, playful ’90s approach felt right for the material.
Sakurai also grew up watching differences between Western action films and Hong Kong martial arts cinema, which could go in more dreamlike directions.
The film opens Friday, according to the story.
The new Street Fighter film aims to reproduce the game’s bold, colorful 1990s style rather than ground it in realism.
Director Kitao Sakurai said a more vibrant interpretation felt like a fresher approach to the material.
The production pursued “maximum fidelity,” including a large platinum wig for Cody Rhodes as Guile.
Sakurai drew on memories of playing Street Fighter II and his interest in dreamlike Hong Kong action cinema.
The film is described as opening Friday; the article was published on October 13, 2026.
- Who
- Director Kitao Sakurai and the team behind the new Street Fighter film.
- What
- The film embraces the game’s colorful 1990s style and aims for “maximum fidelity.
- When
- The article was published October 13, 2026; the film was set to open Friday.
- Where
- Not stated.
- Why
- Sakurai said a gritty, realistic adaptation felt wrong for Street Fighter, while a vibrant approach better embraced the game’s boldness.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Paramount Pictures considered pitches for a new Street Fighter movie, including a more grounded approach.
Sakurai argued for a vibrant interpretation that embraced the game’s colorfulness and boldness.
The team went through multiple iterations of Guile’s wig before settling on the version in the finished movie.
The film was set to open.
- Director
- Kitao Sakurai
- Guile actor
- Cody Rhodes
- Design approach
- Maximum fidelity” to the game
- Sakurai’s Street Fighter II favorite
- Blanka
- Publication date
- October 13, 2026
What people are saying
I was like, ‘Look, to do that for Street Fighter just feels wrong.’
There needed to be a different approach, and I think that more vibrant, ‘90s, having fun with the [interpretation], that embraces the colorfulness of the game and embraces the boldness of the world, felt like a fresher swing on this material.
Yes! We have to do this.
Sources
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