Sega is moving forward with a movie adaptation of one of its classic video game franchises: Shinobi. The company's film and television production arm, Stories International, is working with producer Marc Platt to bring Joe Musashi and his ninja brethren to the big screen.
Platt's credits include films such as Into the Woods, Legally Blonde and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, as well as live productions like the Broadway musical Wicked and Grease Live. Platt and Adam Siegel will produce Shinobi alongside Stories president and CEO Tomoya Suzuki.
"We love the Shinobi games and believe that the world of ninjas has never been properly explored onscreen," Platt said in a press release. "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."
Sega's ninja action series kicked off in 1987 with the release of the arcade game Shinobi. It was followed by an arcade sequel, Shadow Dancer, and a number of console and handheld games, including 1989's The Revenge of Shinobi for Sega Genesis and 2002's Shinobi for PlayStation 2 — though the latter game starred a different protagonist, Hotsuma.
Sega established Stories International in 2011 as a joint venture with Hakuhodo DY, a Japanese advertising company. In 2014, Stories announced plans to develop films, television series and digital entertainment based on Sega's properties, including Altered Beast, Crazy Taxi, Golden Axe and Virtua Fighter.