By The 1980s were a boom period for being a ninja. There were tons of ninja movies, loads of ninja games, and almost everywhere you went, people were going to college to major in Ninjutsu. (Full disclosure: I majored in Philosophy but minored in Ninjustsu.) Sadly, that ninja jazz age has passed, but it may be coming back: there’s an adaptation of Sega’s 1987 classic Shinobi in the works.
Marc Platt (whose credits include Bridge of Spies, Drive, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) and his production company have partnered with Stories International, Inc. to bring the ninja tale to the big screen.
Platt said the following about the adaptation:
We love the Shinobi games and believe that the world of ninjas has never been properly explored onscreen. We now have the opportunity to do just that. With Shinobi, we hope to make a film that honors the essence of the games and brings this fascinating world to life for moviegoing audiences.
As someone who lived in the world of ninjas, I can say it’s pretty much like art school, but with more ninjas and less art or school.
Collider also notes that Stories International is developing other Sega properties for various platforms, including adaptations of Altered Beast, Golden Axe, Virtua Fighter, and Crazy Taxi. I’m particularly interested in Golden Axe as a film along the lines of John Milius’ Conan the Barbarian and Virtua Fighter done as a classic Shaw Brothers kung fu movie. Of course, we’ll have to wait for details on all of these projects.
No love for Fantasy Zone, Alex Kidd, or that snail maze game.
What do you think about these Sega projects on deck? Are you excited? Are you a ninja? Did you also major in Ninjustsu? Show your stealth in the comments.
[via Collider]