Shinobi | Extraction director Sam Hargrave to tackle Sega’s arcade classic

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Extraction director Sam Hargrave is to adapt the classic Sega ninja action game, Shinobi, into a big screen ninja action movie.


Shinobi is the latest film adaptation announced by storied videogame company, Sega. We’ve already heard that other classic Sega titles are being adapted: Golden Axe is being turned into an animated TV show, Streets Of Rage is getting the movie treatment, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, the company has been so aggressive in the last couple of years at targeting adaptations of its videogame titles that we even compiled a list of classic Sega videogames that we want to see get made. (And surprise, Shinobi was one of them!)

While we sit back and wait for the royalty cheques to start arriving, let’s take a look at the plans for a Shinobi movie, then. Universal’s backing the project, which means this one has a much better chance of coming to fruition than some of the Sega titles that have been announced as being in development such as Comix Zone or Toe Jam And Earl, perhaps Sega’s deepest cuts from its expansive library of titles. (Amazon is backing Toe Jam And Earl though, so it could yet happen.)

Sam Hargrave is helming the project according to The Hollywood Reporter – he’s the director of the Chris Hemsworth-starring Extraction films. Hargrave knows a thing or two about staging physical action sequences so things look good on that front. Ken Kobayashi is penning the script and IMDb has this one listed as a family adventure film, so don’t expect anything too hard-edged.

Read more: 8 classic Sega games we’d like to see turned into movies

Videogames have given us plenty of memorable ninjas over the years, though it’s arguable that few videogame ninjas are quite as revered as Joe Musashi, the star of the first Shinobi game. The series has spawned 11 official games over the years and in that time and Musashi and the ninjas that have taken up the shinobi mantle in subsequent games have done it all: Musashi himself has taken down helicopters, rescued children kidnapped from his dojo and even adventured with his faithful dog, Yamato.

We’ll bring you more on Shinobi as we hear it. Sega has been keen to push more of its back catalogue into the mainstream following the success of its two Sonic The Hedgehog films. Shinobi marks the latest entry in this latest project, we’ll watch with interest to see how it develops.

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