Sega is developing a live-action film based on the Yakuza series
By Samantha Nelson published
The search is on for writers for the script.

What you need to know
- Sega is developing a live-action movie based on the Yakuza series.
- The film will likely follow the story of the first Yakuza game.
- The next game in the series, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, will release on Nov. 13.
In an exclusive interview with Variety posted today, Wild Sheep executive Erik Barmack announced that his production company is working with Sega and 1212 Entertainment to develop a live-action film based on the Yakuza series.
The film will be produced by Barmack, Roberto Grande, and Joshua Long. Barmack's producing credits include the Swedish thriller Quicksand, the Indian crime thriller Sacred Games, and the Danish post-apocalyptic drama The Rain. 1212 Entertainment most recently worked on the 2019 film adaptation of the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series of horror children's books.
"With our background in telling global stories, we are excited to bring this huge project to global platforms," Barnack told Variety.
While the producers are still looking for script writers, the film will likely follow the plot of the original Yakuza, which released on the PlayStation in 2005. The game followed Kazuma Kiryu as he was pulled back into Japan's criminal underworld after serving 10 years in prison. Expect plenty of action, a dramatic story focused on redemption, and some very weird comedy.
Yakuza is Sega's second most popular video game franchise, so it's not surprising the company is looking to follow up the Sonic the Hedgehog adaptation that released this year. Hopefully the first look at this movie will be met with less horror than Sonic's teeth.
There's no timeline for the film, so if you want to get into the world of Yakuza soon you should consider picking up a copy of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, which is releasing on Xbox One, PC, and PS4 on Nov. 13.
Restore your family
Yakuza: Like a Dragon sees you being released from prison, only to find out your gang and family has been destroyed by someone you trusted. It's up to you to pull everything back together and get to the truth in the latest Yakuza entry.
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I'd definitely watch this. The games are already like movies. Which is a good thing but it's also a bit heavy as a player
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A TV series is a better format to adapt games, but I will still watch it. I watched the original movie adaptation and it has its good parts, mainly the "substories", the actual movie is not that great.
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Need the Yakuza Collection on Xbox or Game Pass.
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