Reports indicate that a film adaptation of SNK's weapon-based fighting game Samurai Shodown is in development, with production company The Arena handling development and Laeta Kalogridis writing the screenplay. SNK will also provide financial support for the project.
The Arena was founded by film producer Eric Feig, who worked on The Twilight Saga and The Hunger Games series. Screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis wrote the screenplay for Shutter Island and co-wrote Terminator Genisys.
The first game in the Samurai Shodown series was released in arcades in 1993. Set in Japan's Edo period, it features samurai, ninjas, and other characters battling with weapons, emphasizing the weight of single strikes and strategic offense and defense. A new entry in the series was released in 2019.
The Arena is also advancing other SNK IP film and television projects, including the Art of Fighting webcomic, the Fatal Fury movie, a Geese prequel film, and an animated project depicting Terry and Andy's younger years. Currently, specific details such as the story, director, cast, and release date for the Samurai Shodown movie have not been disclosed, and production has not been confirmed to have started.