Sam Hargrave stormed the action movie world as a stuntman but staked his claim as one of the genre’s most in-demand directors with the Extraction franchise. Now, Universal wants him to adapt the Sega game Shinobi. Hargrave will helm, using a script by Ken Kobayashi.
Shinobi debuted in 1987, and ninja Joe Musashi was the protagonist of the original series of games. Along with Alex Kidd and Sonic the Hedgehog, Joe Musashi has long been one of Sega’s flagship characters.
That original side-scrolling game has spawned 14 additional outings, selling a combined 5 million copies, and a new installment is even in development.
Universal hopes to continue its success with gaming adaptations; The Super Mario Bros. Movie topped $1.4 billion globally, and Blumhouse’s Five Nights at Freddy’s was a massive hit for its diehard fans.
Marc Platt and Adam Siegel are producing via Marc Platt Productions. Dmitri M. Johnson will produce through Story Kitchen. Toru Nakahara will produce through SEGA. Mike Goldberg will executive produce the movie, with Timothy I. Stevenson co-producing.
Stay tuned to Flickering Myth for more news on Shinobi.
