Noah Centineo, Andrew Koji, Jason Momoa, and Kitao Sakurai Turn a Childhood Obsession into Street Fighter’s Big-Screen Spectacle!

Paramount Pictures’ Highly Anticipated Live-Action Feature Hits Indian Cinemas This Friday, 16th October, in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu

For the team behind Paramount Pictures’ Street Fighter, bringing the iconic CAPCOM video game franchise to the big screen is much more than a routine studio project. Director Kitao Sakurai alongside stars Andrew Koji, Noah Centineo, and Jason Momoa all grew up playing the legendary arcade game, channeling their lifelong passion to deliver an authentic cinematic experience for hardcore fans and newcomers alike.

The game formed an integral part of their childhoods in distinct ways. Koji was born in 1987—the exact year the original Street Fighter was unleashed—and grew up mastering its iconic sequels. Centineo spent countlessly devoted hours at his cousins’ basement arcade cabinet playing as Blanka, while Sakurai, a half-Japanese kid raised in Ohio, felt a deep personal connection seeing Ryu as one of the first fictional heroes who truly mirrored his own heritage.

Reflecting on directing the film, Kitao Sakurai shared:

“As a Japanese-American filmmaker, to have the honor to do Street Fighter makes me feel incredibly proud. To be able to incorporate the feelings I had as a child, to be able to bring to life the aspects of the game that as a fan, you felt in your heart, is exactly what I hope the movie captures. We’re excited that this is the most accurate Street Fighter adaptation ever made, in terms of the fighting styles, the moves, the costumes and the tone and spirit of the characters.”

Actor and producer Jason Momoa, who brings the fan-favorite character Blanka to life, emphasized the film’s broad appeal:

“Street Fighter will make you laugh, and cry, and have a really great time. This is my childhood. Street Fighter was everything growing up. For existing fans, and new fans, it’s such a diverse world and cast – there’s something for everyone in it.”

Andrew Koji, who steps into the boots of Ryu, spoke about the team’s dedication to honors the lore:

“We all wanted to make sure that not only can we get new fans to love it, but the hardcore fans too. There are so many nods we put in there and we’re bringing a Street Fighter film that has never been done before and hopefully will be remembered for a long time to come.”

Noah Centineo, starring as Ken Masters, highlighted the scale designed specifically for the big screen experience:

“It’s a huge movie. It is so visually stimulating that seeing that on a huge screen is the way to see it. The fights are sweaty, and bloody, you want to see that huge, and the sound design – the seats are going to shake.”

Set in 1993, the story follows estranged street fighters Ryu (Andrew Koji) and Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) as they are thrust back into combat when the mysterious Chun-Li (Callina Liang) recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament. What begins as a brutal clash of fists and fate quickly unravels into a deadly conspiracy, forcing the duo to confront each other and the dark demons of their past.

Production Credits

Production: A Legendary Pictures Production in Association with CAPCOM

Distribution: Paramount Pictures

Director: Kitao Sakurai

Producers: Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Jason Momoa, Takayuki Nakayama, Stefan Makhoul

Street Fighter releases in cinemas across India this Friday, 16th October 2026, in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.

By Keerti Kadam