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Tag: legendary

  • Legendary Sells Minority Stake to Tokyo Broadcasting System in Japanese IP Partnership

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    The Tokyo Broadcasting System has made a strategic investment in Legendary Entertainment, the producer of “Dune” and the Godzilla franchise, that will allow the Hollywood company access to more Japanese intellectual property.

    TBS – which operates broadcast networks, streaming platforms, production studios and a broad entertainment portfolio – has acquired a $150 million minority ownership stake in Legendary, led by CEO Josh Grode and chief creative Mary Parent. Legendary leadership and Apollo Funds remain co-owners of the studio’s majority stake. The partnership is non-exclusive across content verticals.

    “For decades, TBS has played a central role working with all members of the creative ecosystem in Japan, from multiple publishers to animators to writers and artists. Its position within the local market presents exciting opportunities for collaboration. We look forward to working with TBS to broaden our relationships in Japan and to help expand the global reach of its rich IP to the rest of the world in a manner that respects and honors the talented creators,” said Grode.

    Included in the TBS portfolio is production shop The Seven (which has both Japanese and domestic offices), behind series including Netflix’s “Alice in Borderland” and “Yu Yu Hakusho.” Legendary’s slate is steeped in Japanese IP across both theatrical films and shows, including “Godzilla x Kong: Supernova,” “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” “Street Fighter,” which recently wrapped production and the previously produced “Pokémon: Detective Pikachu.”

    Yayoi Nakatani, board director and chief growth officer of TBS Holdings, said he was “thrilled to partner with Legendary, a world-class studio with a remarkable track record of history-making global hits. Legendary’s exceptional creativity and their proven ability to build and expand IPs into worldwide franchises will be an indispensable driving force to our global strategy.”

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    Varietymattdonnelly

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  • The First Trailer for the New ‘Street Fighter’ Movie Really Looks Like That

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    Tonight at the Game Awards, we finally got a first look at Capcom and Paramount Pictures’ upcoming Street Fighter film, which wasted no time getting down to all the action.

    While there may have been some reservations about whether a live-action Street Fighter movie would have the juice to look the part without coming off as too goofy to be legitimately hype, we have to admit, it certainly shut us up a little bit. The trailer was a mile a minute, referencing while showing off its illustrious list of actors and wrestlers in full costumes, and dare we say they looked pretty decent for Hollywood cosplay of video game characters. The trailer itself was mostly a hodgepodge of action with very little hinting toward what its actual story might be, but it’s really there for that at the moment. Let’s watch Chun Li kick fools, Guile do his flash kick, and folks and cars alike get air-juggled.

    As far as the last Street Fighter film endeavors go, those being the Jean-Claude Van Damme one and that other one about Chun Li you likely forgot about, this film definitely leaned more heavily into embracing the camp of the games’ nonstop action. Aesthetically, though, the game seems to be taking more pointers from its newest game, Street Fighter VI‘s more neon-drenched urban look. All the better to make Cody Rhode’s Guile hair look just that much more pronounced.

    In case the rapid-fire role call of video game characters was too fast for you, here’s the who’s who of Street Fighter and the actors bringing them to life:

    • Noah Centineo as “Ken Masters”
    • Andrew Koji as “Ryu”
    • Callina Liang as “Chun-Li”
    • Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoa’i as “Akuma”
    • David Dastmalchian as “M. Bison”
    • Cody Rhodes as “Guile”
    • Andrew Schulz as “Dan Hibiki”
    • Eric André as “Don Sauvage”
    • Vidyut Jammwal as “Dhalsim”
    • Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson as “Balrog”
    • Jason Momoa as “Blanka”
    • Orville Peck as “Vega”
    • Olivier Richters as “Zangief”
    • Hirooki Goto as “E. Honda”
    • Rayna Vallandingham as “Juli”
    • Alexander Volkanovski as “Joe”
    • Kyle Mooney as “Marvin”
    • Mel Jarnson as “Cammy”

    Time will tell whether the film will have a story mode as raucous as its trailer’s unbridled arcade action. But from this first look, director Kitao Sakurai definitely left a good first impression of what’s to come when the movie hits theaters in 2026.

    Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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    Isaiah Colbert

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  • Legendary’s ‘Gundam’ Movie May Put Noah Centineo In a Mech

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    Hollywood’s been trying to get a movie for Mobile Suit Gundam off the ground for a while, and Legendary Pictures is next in line to make it happen. After bagging Sydney Sweeney this past spring for a lead role, the film’s found another star in Noah Centineo.

    Per the Hollywood Reporter, the Black Adam and future Street Fighter actor is “in talks” to join the project. Legendary is reportedly keeping mum on the potential casting for “sensitivity” reasons, and prior to Centineo, attempted to lock in Queer star Drew Starkey for this role. Sweeney’s said to be “very much involved” in choosing her co-lead, since they’re to be “on opposite sides of a war between planets who find a connection.”

    Vague a description that may be, it might give an idea of what the Gundam movie may be about, namely that Sweeney and Centineo are playing characters from The 08th MS Team. The original anime series for the franchise is set during the One Year War and focuses on Aina Sahalin, a pilot from the Principality of Zeon, and Shiro Amada, an ensign of the Earth Federation who cross paths during a mutual rescue in space. Like how this live-action film is described, Aina and Shiro are conflicted about their growing feelings for one another as the war between the Federation and Zeon escalates.

    Alternatively, this movie could be a wholly original story; Legendary’s been mum on the Gundam movie’s plot, save that it’s written and directed by Sweeth Tooth creator Jim Mickle. We’ll find out and cover more about it as news emerges.

    Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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    Justin Carter

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  • Noah Centineo Circling ‘Gundam’ Live-Action Adaptation From Legendary Starring Sydney Sweeney

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    To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and The Recruit alum Noah Centineo is in talks to board Legendary‘s live-action adaptation of Gundam, the sprawling Japanese military sci-fi franchise, opposite Sydney Sweeney.

    As Deadline previously reported in late 2024, Sweet Tooth showrunner Jim Mickle is set to direct the new Gundam, co-developed between Legendary and franchise owner Bandai Namco Filmworks, from his own script. Mickle will also produce with his partner Linda Moran through their production company Nightshade.

    Earlier this year, it was announced Christy star Sweeney was in final negotiations to board the project. The plot is currently under wraps, but the film — which will mark the first live-action entry into the world — is looking to start production in early 2025.

    One of the most revered animé, Gundam pioneered the sci-fi subgenre known as mecha, IP that centers on giant fighting robots. Gundam is set in the Universal Century, a future where humanity has colonized space. When a rebellion erupts between Earth and its colonies, the ensuing conflict is fought by pilots in massive mechanized contraptions known as mobile suits. The long-running multimedia franchise first launched with series Mobile Suit Gundam in 1979. Since then, the internationally renowned Yoshiyuki Tomino-created endeavor has spanned 83 animated series and movies, in addition to a lucrative merchandising arm that generates $600 million annually. 

    Legendary Entertainment initially announced its development of a Gundam film with Netflix in the spring of 2021, with Jordan Vogt-Roberts attached to direct the pic following his work with the studio on its hit Monterverse installment Kong: Skull Island. However, the streamer and Vogt-Roberts are no longer involved.

    Following his breakout in Netflix’s beloved film adaptation of Jenny Han’s trilogy romance series, Centineo has also appeared in Black Adam, Warfare, The Perfect Date and The Fosters. Having just wrapped production on another Legendary movie, 2026’s Street Fighter, he will also soon appear in a Rambo prequel from Lionsgate and Gabriel Basso’s directorial debut Iconoclast.

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    Natalie Oganesyan

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  • ‘Monarch’ Season 2 Is Back Next Year, and Bringing King Kong With It

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    We’ve been waiting a good long while to hear more about the sophomore season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Apple TV and Legendary’s excellent spinoff of the “Monsterverse” Godzilla films, after season one wrapped up in early 2024. Well, good things come to those who wait, including multiple members of the Russell family acting dynasty and some very sizeable simians.

    This morning Apple TV dropped a new trailer to confirm that Monarch will return to the streamer early next year on February 27. Picking up where the first season left off, the show will continue to flash back and forth across the life of Lee Shaw (played as a young Army officer in the 1950s by Wyatt Russell and in the modern day by his father Kurt), as he helps two siblings discover their own family’s connection to the mysterious titular organization as it attempts to research and counter the rise of titanic threats.

    Season one ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, with the elder Shaw’s fate in doubt, but Apple did confirm that Kurt Russell will be back for more in season two, alongside other returning stars Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Mari Yamamoto, Joe Tippett, and Anders Holm. But beyond familiar human faces, there’ll be familiar monsters too: as well as a cavalcade of freaky-looking new creatures, the new trailer also confirmed that season two will bring our heroes to Skull Island, the home of King Kong—and that, of course, Kong will be making the island’s new guests feel right at home in his own manner.

    It’s no surprise that Monarch season two will incorporate Kong, just as Godzilla himself served as an overarching presence across season one. Kong has become more and more integral to the Monsterverse movies since Godzilla vs. Kong and The New Empire, and with Supernova on the way in 2027, it’s no surprise that we might start seeing the groundwork for that movie teased in Kong’s appearances here.

    We’ll start seeing if Monarch season two can live up to the great promise of its predecessor when it premieres on Apple TV February 27, 2026, rolling out the remainder of the 10-episode season on a weekly basis after that.

    Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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    James Whitbrook

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  • ‘Street Fighter’ Moves to Paramount as Legendary Deal Becomes Official

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    Street Fighter — and its parent studio Legendary — have a new place to call home.

    Legendary has inked a three-year pact with Paramount to distribute its movies, with the Capcom video game adaptation Street Fighter the first out of the gate. The Kitao Sakurai-directed feature now has a release date of Oct. 16, 2026.

    The film is currently in production, with Paramount and Legendary releasing the first plot details for the movie, which will be set in 1993, the year the popular game Street Fighter II hit arcades.

    Here’s the new logline: “Set in 1993, estranged Street Fighters Ryu (Andrew Koji) and Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) are thrown back into combat when the mysterious Chun-Li (Callina Liang) recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament: a brutal clash of fists, fate, and fury. But behind this battle royale lies a deadly conspiracy that forces them to face off against each other and the demons of their past. And if they don’t, it’s GAME OVER!”

    The Legendary deal, now official, was reported to be in talks on Aug. 18 and comes after its output deal with Sony expired at the end of 2024. Legendary’s former partner Warner Bros. will continue to distribute key franchises such as the eventual sequel to the nearly $1 billion hit A Minecraft Movie, as well as 2026’s third Dune and 2027’s Godzilla x Kong: Supernova.

    The Street Fighter movie has a sprawling cast, including Noah Centineo as Ken Masters, Andrew Koji as Ryu, Callina Liang as Chun-Li, Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoa’i as Akuma, David Dastmalchian as M. Bison, Cody Rhodes as Guile, Andrew Schulz as Dan Hibiki, Eric André as Don Sauvage, Vidyut Jammwal as Dhalsim, with Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson as Balrog and Jason Momoa as Blanka.

    It also stars Orville Peck as Vega, Olivier Richters as Zangief, Hirooki Goto as E. Honda, Rayna Vallandingham as Juli, Alexander Volkanovski as Joe, Kyle Mooney as Marvin and Mel Jarnson as Cammy.

    “Legendary has built a reputation for ambitious, globally appealing films, and we’re excited to be partnering with them. Street Fighter is the perfect start to our collaboration, which we believe will be strong and lasting,” said Josh Greenstein, co-chair of Paramount Pictures and vice chair of platforms, and Dana Goldberg, Co-Chair of Paramount Pictures and Chair of Paramount Television.

    Added Legendary CEO Josh Grode: “Partnering with David, Dana and Josh and their teams at Paramount marks an exciting new chapter for Legendary as we continue to pursue a diversified growth strategy—expanding our output, building new franchises, and creating more films for global audiences. This partnership is an extraordinary opportunity, and we look forward to working closely with Paramount on stories that will captivate and inspire moviegoers worldwide.”

    This is just one of many key early moves made by David Ellison’s new Paramount, which lured Stranger Things creators the Duffer Bros. from Netflix, inked a $7.7 billion deal for UFC rights, and signed Will Smith’s Westbrook to a first-look film deal.

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    Aaron Couch

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  • The Justice League Will Battle Godzilla and Kong

    The Justice League Will Battle Godzilla and Kong

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    DC just announced a huge crossover event. The Justice League will take on a number of Kaiju from Legendary’s Monsterverse. DC, Legendary, and Toho are all collaborating to make the massive matchup a reality. The seven-issue series will hit store shelves this fall.

    The official summary of the arc is as follows:

    The fight ‘starts as a routine clash between the Justice League and the Legion of Doom takes a dangerous turn when the wall between worlds is breached…with Godzilla, Kong, and the MonsterVerse emerging on DC’s Earth! What ensues will be a brawl of unprecedented scale and destruction!’

    READ MORE: Godzilla Now Has His Own 24-Hour TV Channel

    DC’s president Jim Lee spoke at San Diego Comic-Con to share his enthusiasm for the project.

    As a comics fan—there’s nothing more fun and exciting than exploring those amazing ‘What If’ situations that come up when fandoms cross streams! In this case, it’s a matchup of the world’s greatest Super Heroes in the Justice League who take on not only the King of the Monsters—Godzilla—but the mighty Kong himself! It’s a crossover no-holds-barred battle, decades in the making, and no bona fide comics fan will want to miss it!

    The Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong comic series will be written by Brian Buccellato and illustrated by Christian Duce. The next Monsterverse movie, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is scheduled to open in theaters on March 15, 2024. The movie will be released by Warner Bros. — the same company that owns DC Comics, and the Justice League.

    DC Comics That Can’t Become DC Movies

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    Cody Mcintosh

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  • New ‘Street Fighter’ Movie Finds Its Directors

    New ‘Street Fighter’ Movie Finds Its Directors

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    Legendary and Capcom are working on a Street Fighter movie, and it seems like they may have found their directors. Although it might seem like a weird fit, those directors are the duo behind the festival horror hit Talk to Me, Danny and Michael Philippou. For those not familiar, Talk To Me is an Australian horror film about grief and seancés. It blew up on the festival circuit and quickly got picked up for A24 for distribution. Apparently, some influential people are taking notice.

    Street Fighter has been adapted before. Steven E. de Souza directed the 1994 release, which starred Raul Julia and Jean-Claud Van Damme. While it did pretty well at the box-office, critics absolutely hated it. Of course, it didn’t feel very close to the source material, and it was extremely campy. That being said, it’s something of a cult classic at this point. It’s unlikely that the Phillippou brothers are going to lean into that vibe.

    Universal

    READ MORE: Every Video Game Movie, Ranked From Worst to Best

    The Phillippous are extremely hot right off of the release of Talk to Me, and it’s said that they were approached by different agencies all night at Sundance after screening the film. They eventually decided to sign with WME. Since Sundance only happened at the end of January, they must have been working quickly.

    As of now, there’s no real timeline for what the production schedule looks like. There also aren’t any indications as to what the plot will be, but there are tons of possibilities on the table. This will be the third Street Fighter movie to date; the first, in 1994, starred Jean-Claude Van Damme as Guile and Raul Julia as Bison. In 2009, a reboot arrived called Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, with Kristin Kreuk in the title role, and Chris Klein in a performance that became the stuff of internet legend.

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    Cody Mcintosh

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