Sega has announced a live-action movie adaption of the 2005 classic Yakuza set to be produced and developed by 1212 Entertainment and Wild Sheep Content. An exclusive from Variety has revealed they are still looking for writers for the script.
Yakuza is Sega’s bestselling franchise after Sonic the Hedgehog. The first game follows Kazuma Kiryu, fresh out of prison after taking the fall for a murder he didn’t commit. Despite trying to find another life, Kiryu ends up back in the criminal underworld, protecting hunted orphans and tracking down 10 billion of stolen yen. The game has been praised for its open-world roleplaying abilities, with realistic recreations of Japan’s vibrant Kabukicho district and quirky characters to interact with.
In an exclusive from Variety, 1212 cited this vibrancy as their passion for the project.
“Yakuza offers us a new playground in which to set compelling stories with complex characters in an unique environment that audiences have rarely seen before. The saga of Kazuma Kiryu has a built-in cinematic appeal – a mix of kinetic action with bursts of comedy, multiple converging storylines, and a gripping journey towards redemption.”
1212 Entertainment produced 2019’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Wild Sheep Content are accredited on multiple TV series, with a focus on “connecting Hollywood to international productions, and international productions to global platforms and Hollywood.”
If you’re interested in Yakuza, check out our review for Yakuza Kiwami on the PS4.
Excited to watch some live-action throttling? Praying we get a scene of Kiryu in the karaoke? Let us know your thoughts down below!