The ever popular Streetfighter video game series has been adapted for both animated and live action adventures, but while Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Streetfighter (1994) was entertaining it only hinted at what could have been... and the less said about Streetfighter: The Legend of Chun Li the better. (Equally, there was also an unofficial Hong Kong take on the game with the madcap comedy actioner that was Future Cops, and an official Streetfighter-styled sequence pitting Jackie Chan against Gary Daniels in City Hunter)
The biggest problem with adapting something like Streetfighter is how to build a storyline around the game. Mortal Kombat worked it out by taking the plot of Enter the Dragon and remaking it with the MK characters and flavor, but the earlier Streetfighter movies didn’t capture the key element of the games... it’s a story about a global fighting tournament.
A few years ago a stylish short surfaced on the net that hinted at the way to go. While I do have to admit to not having been blown away by it as much as some people, I did feel it captured the flavor and feel of the game better than anything that had come before it and was impressed by the way actor/choreographer turned director Joey Ansah had put together his Streetfighter: Legacy short film. Well, obviously it struck a chord with the right people including those at Capcom and perhaps as their official response to Kevin Tancheroen’s well-received Mortal Kombat web series (which re-invigorated the franchise after a few tears in Development Hell) last July saw Ansah and his team begin shooting their web series Streetfighter: Assassin's Fist which promises to expand upon and deliver on the promise hinted at in Streetfighter: Legacy.
“Millions of fans of the game have been calling out for a true-to-the-game telling of the Street Fighter story. Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist gives them just that. We’re already experiencing enormous interest from the fan-base.” says producer Jacqueline Quella.
Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist boasts a cast that includes Togo Igawa, Joey Ansah, Mike Moh, Christian Howard, Akira Koieyama, Shogen, Gaku Space, Hyunri, Hal Yamanouchi and Mark Killeen. The series will premiere on the webs shortly before subsequent DVD release etc.
You can find out more at: http://www.streetfighteraf.com/
