Kung-fu brawler Sifu is getting a live-action adaptation with the help of John Wick writer Derek Kolstad.
As reported by Deadline (opens in new tab), Sloclap’s beat-’em-up has been picked up by brand-new media company Story Kitchen. This was co-founded by Sonic the Hedgehog producer Dmitri M. Johnson, former APA partner Mike Goldberg and Kolstad, focused on “world-building action” and “non-traditional intellectual property.” Sifu will be the studio’s first project and an indie brawler feels like it fits into its “non-traditional” descriptor.
Sifu was a surprise hit when it arrived at the beginning of the year. It follows the protagonist as he seeks revenge on the people who killed his master with the aid of a talisman that brings him back each time he dies. Except—plot twist!—each time he dies he ages, even though the world around him stays the same. It’s a simple enough premise but with a layer of difficulty which proved to be a hit. Tyler Wilde scored the game 85 in his Sifu review (opens in new tab), finding the story to be “disappointing,” but called the fighting “some of the most intrinsically enjoyable melee combat” he’s experienced. “Sifu will test your patience, but learning how to coolly dismantle a room full of goons with virtual kung fu is worth the pain.”
As well as being the writer behind all of the fantastic John Wick movies—including the upcoming fourth one—Kolstad is also behind the Splinter Cell Netflix adaptation and the recently-announced Streets of Rage movie. He’s a well-respected writer, one who seems keen on churning out various adaptations of videogames at the moment. Sifu feels like one of those games that could be a super fun movie if adapted correctly, especially with Sonic the Hedgehog producers also behind the wheel.
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