If you've been passively following upcoming Hollywood flick Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, you've probably already realized that Ryu and Ken are not characters in the film. Why is that? Hrm. According to the movie's producer Patrick Aiello, the filmmakers and Capcom decided to have this film focus on the origin of Chun-Li. Continuing, Aiello adds:
There are just way too many characters in the Street Fighter universe to cram them all into one film. We want to do each one the justice he/she deserves. So, in short, Ken and Ryu will not be appearing in this film. But, that doesn't mean we wont see our red and white-clad heroes in potential sequels...
If this Chun-Li flick does decent business, just watch as Capcom goes sequel silly. (Not that it's ever done that in the past!) The film's producer does offer interesting insights on how they plan on adapting Street Fighter to the silver screen and stay true to the game's roots:
Now, as a result of this approach, it'd be silly to put Neal McDonough's Bison in a bright red suit and captain's hat with a pair of humongous shoulder pads. It works great in the video game, but in real life, it just wouldn't look intimidating. The same can be said for Balrog. He's an enforcer. A killer. A take-no-shit brawler to the core. And so, how scary would he be on screen if he beat people up with boxing gloves and a pair of blue short-shorts?
All that said, do not worry. We haven't turned a blind eye on the game we all know and love. At some point, Chun Li will sport her trademark buns (the ones in her HAIR!) and of course, Vega's still got the mask and claw, for starters.
Regarding the tone, I'm pleased to say we are certainly not going for camp or cheese or any kind of laughs. A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into the making of this film, and, you're gonna see a lot of those ON film as well.
If it's done well, people should give the filmmakers room to breathe. It's been that way with comic book films in the past — like look at the respectful liberties Sam Raimi took with Spider-Man.
Street Fighter Movie [Official Site] [Pic]