Sakurai Puts Ken and Ryu Brotherhood at Center of Street Fighter
The director says the film's emotional core is the bond between the two fighters, built around the Street Fighter II era.
Director Kitao Sakurai said his biggest change to the Street Fighter movie was making the brotherhood of Ken and Ryu the heart of the story, according to movieweb.com, as the film is now showing in theaters.
Sakurai said he wanted to capture the Street Fighter II snapshot in which Ken and Ryu are brothers. The movie depicts the two training under Master Gouken and their later estrangement, opening with an animated flashback to the 1987 World Warrior tournament.
The plot follows Chun-Li as she recruits a reclusive Ryu to fight alongside a fame-seeking Ken in M. Bison's new tournament.
Street Fighter 6 game director Takayuki Nakayama, who serves as a producer on the film, said he heavily revised the original script over about two years. He previously told Dexerto that the first draft he received was rough.
Sakurai said he is already brainstorming a sequel that would explore Shadaloo and cast Sagat as a central antagonist.
Earlier plans
In 2023, Danny and Michael Philippou were initially attached to direct Street Fighter but exited the project to focus on Bring Her Back.