Paramount PicturesAs difficult as it is to adapt video games to film already, it must be doubly so for fighting game adaptations. Unlike the traditional storytelling of more narratively complex games like The Last of Us or God of War, fighting games often use the story as a backdrop for an ensemble of characters who players will then use to beat each other to a virtual pulp. The plot of Mortal Kombat, for instance, is a convoluted mess of alternate dimensions and ancient gods that serves as little more than to contextualize why the final boss has earned the brutal finishing move coming his way.And yet, despite this, fighting games have been some of the most frequently adapted to the big screen – from Mortal Kombat to Tekken. Even the most influential fighting game of all time, Street Fighter 2, has led to several cinematic interpretations of the IP, including 1994’s Street Fighter and 2009’s The Legend of Chun-Li (two films that, at the time, were panned as some of the worst movies ever). Two prior failures certainly aren’t enough to stop Paramount Pictures from trying again, though, especially in a year already filled with multiple successful video game movies.Street Fighter, the newest reboot directed by Kitao Sakurai, is just days away from release, and if the trailers and clips have told us anything, it’s that it’ll be a far cry from other attempts to bring the classic series to life. Whether or not it’ll be as successful as The Super Mario Galaxy Movie or Resident Evil remains to be seen, but already it’s pretty clear that it’s an adaptation head over heels in love with its source material.Is There A Trailer For Street Fighter (2026)?Yes, there is! Plans for a major blockbuster reboot of Street Fighter were announced as far back as April of 2023, with Danny and Michael Philippou (the directors of Talk To Me and the creatives behind the YouTube channel RackaRacka) initially hired to direct. However, the pair dropped out of the project in June 2024, eventually being replaced by Kitao Sakurai; filming officially began on August 18, 2025, and wrapped in November, with the first trailer for the movie dropping back on April 16 of this year.What Is The Plot Of Street Fighter (2026)?Skipping over the events of the original Street Fighter game, the 2026 reboot appears to be sticking relatively close to the plot of Street Fighter 2, the game that put the franchise (and fighting games as a whole) on the map. As per the film’s official synopsis:“Set in 1993, estranged Street Fighters Ryu (Andrew Koji) and Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) are thrown back into combat when the mysterious Chun-Li (Callina Liang) recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament: a brutal clash of fists, fate, and fury. But behind this battle royale lies a deadly conspiracy that forces them to face off against each other and the demons of their past. And if they don’t, it’s GAME OVER!”Not quite the gladiatorial fight to the death of the Mortal Kombat franchise, Street Fighter’s World Warrior Tournament is still certainly not your average martial arts competition. | Paramount PicturesThe trailer keys us in on the fact that the bare bones of the plot is very similar to SF2, with the World Warrior Tournament being used as a front for M. Bison’s criminal aspirations towards power. However, it also seems like the movie is extrapolating on the friendly in-game rivalry between Ryu and Ken and making it a bitter falling-out between the two of them, meaning that the other major conflict of the film (and more than likely the emotional arc) will be the two former friends overcoming their history and coming together again to face off against the sinister boss of the Shadaloo criminal empire.Street Fighter (2026) Release DateThe Street Fighter reboot film releases in theaters worldwide on October 16, 2026, this upcoming Friday. Early screenings will begin on Thursday, October 15.The Cast Of Street Fighter 2026 vs. Street Fighter 1994Raul Julia and Ming-Na Wen in the 1994 Street Fighter. | Capcom/Kobal/ShutterstockIronically enough, both this year’s Street Fighter and 1994’s Street Fighter feature a very similar cast of characters despite the approaches being radically different. Both films borrow heavily from the ensemble of fighters present in the original Street Fighter 2 game (as well as its many ports and revised editions), although the heightened star power in the newest film is an indication of how far video game movie adaptations have come in the 30 years since the first attempt. 2026’s Street Fighter stars:Andrew Koji as RyuNoah Centineo as Ken MastersCallina Liang as Chun-LiJoe “Roman Reigns” Anoa’i as AkumaDavid Dastmalchian as M. BisonCody Rhodes as GuileAndrew Schulz as Dan HibikiEric Andre as Don SauvageVidyut Jammwal as DhalsimCurtis “50 Cent” Jackson as BalrogJason Momoa as BlankaDon Lee as GoukenOrville Peck as VegaOlivier Richters as ZangiefHirooki Goto as E. HondaMel Jarnson as CammyRayna Vallandingham as JuliAlexander Volkanovski as Joe1994’s Street Fighter, on the other hand, starred:Jean-Claude Van Damme as Colonel William F. GuileMing-Na Wen as Chun-Li ZangDamian Chapa as Ken MastersKylie Minogue as Lieutenant Cammy WhiteByron Mann as Ryu HoshiGrand L. Bush as Gerard BalrogRobert Mammone as Charlie BlankaGregg Rainwater as Sgt. Thunder HawkPeter Tuiasosopo as Edmond HondaRaúl Juliá as M. BisonAndrew Bryniarski as ZangiefMiguel A. Núñez Jr. as Dee JayJay Tavare as VegaWes Studi as Viktor SagatRoshan Seth as Dr. DhalsimEven with a relatively similar cast of fighters (with a few swaps here and there), the differences between the two films are night and day — the 1994 movie was released at a time when video game adaptations were unproven ground, and it’s obvious in the drastic changes they make to “ground” the source material. Conversely, this year’s Street Fighter appears to be gleefully embracing the Saturday Morning Cartoon energy of the source material, from the superpowered fight sequences to the absurdist comedic elements on display. Looking at both films is a clear representation of how far Hollywood has come in its approach to bringing video games to life, and hopefully its an approach that appeals to fans when Street Fighter releases this Friday.Street Fighter will release in theaters on October 16.