Movies
Sega’s Classic ‘Shinobi’ Picked up for Adaptation by Universal Pictures
Sega is once again getting busy with its IPs, announcing a collaboration with Universal Pictures to develop a film adaptation based on their classic Shinobi franchise.
The movie will be directed by Sam Hargrave (Extraction franchise), with Ken Kobayashi (Sunny, Move On) adapting the screenplay Marc Platt and Adam Siegel will produce the film through Marc Platt Productions. Dmitri M. Johnson will produce through Story Kitchen, while Toru Nakahara will produce through Sega. Mike Goldberg will serve as executive producer alongside Timothy I. Stevenson, who is co-producing.
Details on the adaptation are still to come, but the basis of the Shinobi franchise started way back in 1987 in the arcades, where players assumed the role of Joe Musashi, a modern-day ninja who is out to stop the Zeed terrorist organization from kidnapping students of his clan. The success of the arcade game led to multiple entries in the series spanning multiple platforms, dabbling in horror themes with its characters and settings. The latest entry in the series was teased during The Game Awards back in 2023.
As mentioned, Shinobi isn’t the only Sega property getting a look from film and television. Apart from the obvious big one that’s into its third film with Sonic the Hedgehog, Golden Axe will be getting an animated series from Comedy Central, while Streets of Rage was picked up by Lionsgate in 2022, which will be directed by written and produced by Derek Kolstad (John Wick, Nobody), with many of the same players producing Shinobi.
Sunrise Films has announced the official North American release of William Bagley‘s horror comedy Hold the Fort, and it’s accompanied by an energetic new trailer.
Hold the Fort debuts on digital platforms on June 23.
In the film, “Lucas and Jenny think their life is finally coming together when the couple become homeowners. Little do they know that their new house comes with a big catch. Lucas and Jenny soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when they become trapped in a battle between their Homeowners Association and an onslaught of monsters from hell. The horror-comedy takes the timely concern of home-ownership and wraps this up in an entertaining action-packed thrill ride.“
Watch the new trailer below, which introduces one wild HOA gathering during an equinox. Things get bloody fast.
Chris Mayers (Adult Swim Yule Log), Haley Leary (“The Walking Dead”), Levi Burdick, and Julian Smith star.
William Bagley writes and directs, in addition to producing with Smith, Matt Dodd, Luke Williams, and Tim Reis (Adult Swim Yule Log).
Ahead of the release, Bagley said, “My goal with this film was to make a hilarious, fast-paced thrill ride while also telling a great story with heart. Hopefully, through all the blood, laughs, fights, and gags, you leave the film feeling inspired to tackle whatever life throws at you.“
Hold the Fort premiered at Fantasia last summer before going on to play FrightFest London, Toronto After Dark, and Beyond Fest.
I wrote in my review, “It’s an infectiously charming assemblage of jokes and monster vignettes bound together by a barebones plot with not much on its mind beyond delivering an entertaining time.”
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