Shinobi Is the Latest Video Game to Get the Movie Treatment

Key Takeaways

• SEGA’s classic Shinobi franchise is getting a movie adaptation.
• Sam Hargrave will direct the film, known for his work on Netflix’s Extraction.
• Shinobi is one of many fighting game adaptations in the works, including Mortal Kombat 2.

Video game movies and TV series are all the rage right now and a classic SEGA arcade franchise is the latest title primed for big-screen treatment. A Shinobi movie has been revealed to be in development for Universal and will bring the beloved ninja franchise to the screen for the first time.

The Shinobi franchise was first released on SEGA arcade systems back in 1987 and the side-scrolling hack-and-slash game proved to be very popular. The story follows ninja Joe Musashi who is out to stop the evil Zeed criminal organization from kidnapping the children from his clan. The Shinobi series went on to span 14 video game entries, with the most recent release on the Nintendo DS in 2011. After a more than ten-year break, a new Shinobi game was announced by SEGA to be in development at The Game Awards in 2023.

Now a movie adaptation may beat the new video game to the punch, with things moving forward on Universal’s Shinobi film. As reported by Deadline, Sam Hargrave has been tapped to direct the Shinobi film, with a script written by Ken Kobayashi (Sunny). A prolific stuntman, Hargrave is perhaps best known for his directing work on Netflix’s Extraction films with Chris Hemsworth. This also won’t be Hargrave’s first foray into the video game world, having directed the short film PUBG Ground of Honor: Rondo in collaboration with PUBG: Battlegrounds in 2023, which received over 4 million views on YouTube.

Producers on the new Shinobi movie include Marc Platt and Adam Seigel (Marc Platt Productions), Dmitri M. Johnson (Story Kitchen), and Toru Nakahara for SEGA. Platt has been on board a Shinobi film adaptation since 2016 but it has taken many years in development for the adaptation to attach key creatives. Back in 2016 Platt said of the movie announcement, “With Shinobi, we hope to make a film that honors the essence of the games.”

The gameplay of Shinobi typically involves the use of shuriken (throwing knives) or a ninjato (sword), as well as platforming abilities like jumping and somersaulting. The game was also praised at the time for its introduction of more advanced enemy AI that allowed them to take cover or block attacks. Each Shinobi level ends with players facing a difficult boss character who they must defeat in order to progress.

The story of Shinobi is no doubt ripe for a movie adaptation and could follow in the wake of successful action franchises like John Wick or Monkey Man. Hargrave’s time on the action-heavy Extraction films seemingly makes him a perfect choice to adapt something like Shinobi, and his experience as a stuntman will likely provide plenty of thrilling action set pieces. While no release window was announced, when Shinobi does hit screens it will be one of a group of fighting video game adaptations on the market, with Mortal Kombat 2 set for release in 2025, a new Street Fighter movie adaptation from Capcom aiming for a 2026 release, and a Sifu film in development from the John Wick creative team. SEGA’s other major video game adaptation, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, will hit theaters later this year.