Street Fighter Movie Director Reveals Why He Chose 'Gonzo' Over Gritty

Ever wonder why the new Street Fighter movie feels more like a wild arcade brawl than a serious drama? Director Kitao Sakurai is here to explain. He told The Hollywood Reporter that he intentionally went for a "gonzo" style of over-the-top action and silliness, rather than gritty and grounded.

"There's a silliness to it, and there's an absurdity to the world and the characters and how they interact," Sakurai said. He credited producer Cale Boyter at Legendary for championing this vision of Street Fighter with "gonzo energy." Sakurai added, "I also love comedy and craziness and energy."

If you've seen The Eric Andre Show, you know Sakurai's sensibilities. He said that experience taught him that not every minute needs to be hilarious, but "every minute needs to be interesting." That philosophy carried over to Street Fighter. "There can be elements that are so ridiculous they might not track narratively or make sense conceptually, but because they're part of an overall energy and feeling, they fit," he explained.

In a cool twist, the film's original directors, the Philippou brothers, ended up with cameo roles. Sakurai personally invited them to appear as two people fighting in the street. He wanted to show there was "no bad blood" and that "we're all part of the same family." He added, "There was no animosity, and it's all love."

The Street Fighter movie hit theaters on October 16 and has made over $55 million worldwide so far—which, frankly, isn't great. The film stars Noah Centineo as Ken, Callina Liang as Chun-Li, Andrew Koji as Ryu, Jason Momoa as Blanka, Cody Rhodes as Guile, Roman Reigns as Akuma, and David Dastmalchian as M. Bison.

So, what do you think? Does the gonzo approach sound like a knockout, or were you hoping for a more grounded take? Will you be picking this up?