Street Fighter 6 director helped rewrite movie script after first draft was “pretty rough”

Street Fighter 6 director Takayuki Nakayama told Dexerto that he spent two years helping rewrite the script for the series’ upcoming movie adaptation, saying the first version he received was “pretty rough.”

Nakayama has been heavily involved with the forthcoming Street Fighter film, set to release on October 16, 2026. While fans may have spotted him in promotional videos alongside the fighting game flick’s colorful cast of celebrities, he was more than just an advisor on the project — he literally helped write the script.

Responses from the fighting game community have been understandably mixed; the passionate fanbase is cautiously optimistic while keeping their expectations low out of fear that director Kitao Sakurai (Beef, Twisted Metal) fumbles to source material.

Takayuki Nakayama assures fans that Street Fighter movie will live up to the hype

Nakayama, current director of Street Fighter 6 with past experience leading Street Fighter V, assured Dexerto that he’s confident the film will hit all the right notes, in large part because he helped rewrite the script after the first version that hit his desk just wasn’t up to snuff.

“To be honest, the first script I received was pretty rough — probably exactly the way people are imagining it would be,” he admitted. “So, we spent about two years turning it into what it is now. 

“The director is also really great, so we worked together with a great production team, and the actors are all highly motivated. And because I’m directly involved in the process, I have absolutely no worries. I mean, I just watched it and thought it was fun.”

Nakayama went on to address fans’ reactions to the trailers, saying that although adapting such a beloved gaming property into a proper screenplay was a difficult task, everyone involved was dedicated to doing the Street Fighter series justice.

“Personally, I feel like the reaction has been really positive,” he told us. “You know, adapting a game directly into a video work is, as you said, incredibly difficult. Everyone has their own personal feelings about the series, so I’m sure there were various opinions out there. 

“But the director and the whole team really took the time to break down what makes Street Fighter tick and reflect on the experiences that shaped us growing up; the people making it are Street Fighter fans themselves. So, you can rest easy on that front.”

Street Fighter hits theaters on October 16, 2026, featuring a star-studded cast including wrestler Cody Rhodes, comedian Eric Andre, rapper 50 Cent, and many more.