Another day, another video game adaptation was announced. This time it’s the Shinobi series from Sega.
Universal and Sega announced Tuesday that they are working on a film adaptation of the hack-and-slack video game and have found a well-versed director to take the helm. It is directed by Sam Hargrave, a stuntman and filmmaker best known for directing the Netflix film “Extraction” starring Chris Hemsworth. The script will be written by Ken Kobayashi.
Plot details haven’t been revealed yet, but the Shinobi series was largely about ninja Joe Musashi’s fight against evil. The first Shinobi game was originally released in arcades in 1987, and Musashi became one of Sega’s flagship characters. The series spans 14 games, and in a surprise announcement at last year’s Game Awards, Sega revealed that a up-to-date Shinobi game is in the works (alongside up-to-date entries from other Sega series such as Jet Set Radio, Crazy Taxi, and Golden Ax).
This is only the latest video game to be adapted, and Universal itself has had huge success with other games in the past. The film Super Mario Bros. produced by this studio. is the second highest-grossing film of last year (after Barbie) and is still among the highest-grossing video game adaptations of all time. In March, a sequel was officially announced, scheduled to take place in April 2026.
Universal also had an adaptation of Five Nights at Freddy’s (via Blumhouse Productions) that was successful enough to merit a sequel as well.
Not to mention, another Sega game, Sonic the Hedgehog, also hit the gigantic screen, succeeding in creating a franchise for Paramount Pictures. It’s worth noting that Toru Nakahara, who produced the Sonic films as well as the Knuckles spinoff series, is one of the producers of Shinobi for Sega.
Further details, including a release window and Musashi’s all-important casting, have yet to be announced. To learn more, check out our roundup of all upcoming video game movies and shows.
Alex Stedman is a senior news editor at IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, she can be found reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
