Hollywood has constantly looked to other entertainment mediums for source material to adapt into films and television, with video games becoming a more popular choice of franchises to mine for content. This year saw Sonic the Hedgehog become the highest grossing video game movie ever, and theatrical Mortal Kombat and Super Mario movies are also on the way. One gaming series that has grown to prominence in recent years has been the Yakuza series, which has begun to find a global audience with constant sequels and remakes for current consoles. Now, a live action Yakuza movie has been announced by Sega to capitalize on this success.

As reported on Variety, Sega has announced that they will be working with 1212 Entertainment and Wild Sheep Content to produce a live-action Yakuza movie. Erik Barmack, Roberto Grande and Joshua Long have been tapped to produce the project, while a search for writers and a director are currently in progress. 1212 Entertainment had this to say about the project:

Yakuza offers us a new playground in which to set compelling stories with complex characters in a 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.”

The main Yakuza games have focused on Kazuma Kiryu, who returns to the deadly yakuza criminal underworld after serving a decade behind bars. The series has also had a variety of spinoffs focused on other characters. The Yakuza series is actually Sega’s second most popular franchise, right behind Sonic the Hedgehog, which has already been a box office hit. Hopefully Sega finds a repeat in their cinema success, so the end of the Yakuza movie can have Nick Fury tell Kiryu about the Dreamcast initiative.

What do you guys think about Sega greenlighting a live action Yakuza movie? Let us know in the comments below! Be sure to stay tuned for the latest Yakuza news, such as the trailer announcing the Yakuza: Like A Dragon release date, here on Don’t Feed the Gamers! Follow us on Twitter to see our updates the minute they go live!