Lionsgate confirmed that Jeymes Samuel, director of The Harder They Fall, has joined the Streets of Rage live-action movie as director, with Pat Casey and Josh Miller, writers of the Sonic the Hedgehog films, hired to write the script as of today, June 2, 2026 [1, 2, 3].
The movie has been in development since 2022 when original writer Derek Kolstad, creator of John Wick, joined the project and wrote an early draft. Kolstad remains attached as a producer [2, 3]. The film is based on Sega's cult classic beat 'em up video game series, which was revitalized by the release of Streets of Rage 4 in 2020 [1]. Production is led by producers including Sega's Toru Nakahara and key figures from Story Kitchen and Escape Artists [2].
Plot details have been tightly held but the film will heavily feature the iconic characters, electronic soundtrack, and action gameplay that fans know from the video game series [1, 2, 3]. The movie will be a live-action adaptation rather than animated [1, 2].
Jeymes Samuel, also a songwriter and composer known as The Bullitts, is the brother of singer Seal. Lionsgate film chief Erin Westerman said Samuel's "visceral and explosive style — not to mention his signature use of unforgettable music — is perfect for audiences both familiar with and new to the series," praising how Samuel will bring a memorable take to the property [1, 2, 3].
The Streets of Rage movie was first announced by Sega in December 2016, marking nearly 10 years since plans began to bring the series to the big screen [2]. Lionsgate acquired the project in 2022 and has kept it active since then [1, 2].
The studio has not announced a release date, but with the key creative team now confirmed, further production updates are expected soon [1, 2, 3].
