Hollywood production company Lionsgate has now taken up the project’s reigns, Deadline reported, following word earlier this year that Sonic the Hedgehog movie maker dj2 Entertainment was also involved. More promising still is the news that Derek Kolstad, creator and lead writer of the hugely-lucrative John Wick franchise, remains attached, and will reportedly develop its script and act as a producer. “When Dmitri [Johnson, dj2 Entertainment’S Sonic producer] first mentioned the idea of cracking a Streets of Rage movie, I was so immediately freaking in,” Kolstad said. “And to play with Sega? The 10-year-old me is still grinning.” For now, there’s no word on when exactly we might see Streets of Rage arrive - or indeed, who might star in it. Sega’s classic side-scrolling beat ’em-up series had its heyday in the 1990s, though a long-awaited fourth entry in the series launched in 2020 to a positive response. “Glorious artwork and a fan’s eye for detail combine for a sequel that manages to best its forebears,” our Martin wrote in Eurogamer’s Streets of Rage 4 review, branding it an Essential purchase. Sega has already turned its Sonic the Hedgehog series into something of a franchise, with further sequels and a spin-off TV series starring Knuckles on the way.
