Sega is working on another Yakuza movie

Sega is developing a live-action adaptation of its popular Yakuza game series, according to Variety. With more than a dozen mainline and spinoff games, and not to mention the new sequel that’s coming to the west later this year, there’s a lot of material the movie could pull from.

Based on a statement 1212 Entertainment, one of the production companies working with Sega on the adaptation, provided to Variety, we can expect the film to star frequent Yakuza protagonist Kazuma Kiryu. “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,” a spokesperson for the production house said.

If the project makes its way to theatres, it won’t be the first film inspired by the Yakuza series to do so. In 2007, Sega commissioned Like a Dragon, not to be confused with the latest game in the series. While it never made its way to theatres in the US, it was available on DVD eventually. It was also directed by none other than Takashi Miike (Thirteen Assassins and Blade of the Immortal). Oh, and there was also a stage play at one point.

The new project doesn’t have a release date yet — it still needs to find someone to pen the script — so it may take some time before we get concrete details on the movie. In the meantime, if you want to find out for yourself why some people love the quirky series, a good starting point is the Yakuza Remastered Collection Sega recently released in the West.