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Lionsgate Reboots Streets of Rage Movie With Sonic Writers and Jeymes Samuel

The new creative team signals a restart that aims to lean into the game’s characters and electronic soundtrack while further scripts and scheduling are worked out.

Overview

  • Lionsgate announced Monday that Pat Casey and Josh Miller, the writing duo behind the Sonic the Hedgehog films, will write a new draft of the Streets of Rage movie and serve as executive producers.
  • Filmmaker Jeymes Samuel, known for The Harder They Fall and The Book of Clarence, has been hired to direct and was praised by Lionsgate for his music‑forward, visceral style.
  • John Wick writer Derek Kolstad — who penned an earlier draft after Lionsgate acquired rights in 2022 — has exited the writers’ role but remains credited among the producers alongside Sega, Story Kitchen, and Escape Artists.
  • Studio statements say the adaptation will draw heavily on the game’s core elements — its protagonists, beat‑'em‑up action and iconic electronic soundtrack — though plot, casting and a release date have not been announced.
  • The hires reflect a broader industry push to pair proven video‑game writers and stylized directors with established IP; next steps to watch are new script drafts, casting moves, and a production timeline.