Info in Movie News | Callina Liang, who recently made waves with her breakout performance in the haunted house thriller Presence, has officially been cast as Chun-Li in Legendary Pictures’ upcoming live-action Street Fighter movie. The casting marks a huge leap for Liang into blockbuster territory, as she takes on one of gaming’s most iconic female characters in a project helmed by Bad Trip director Kitao Sakurai. While the details of the plot are still a secret, the cast is already filled with names like Andrew Koji, Jason Momoa, and Roman Reigns, which means a brave, action-packed new version of the classic Capcom franchise is on its way.
According to Deadline, the movie will be the third significant effort to take the Street Fighter game for the cinema. Chun-Li still stands as her main character which made its debut in 1991 Street Fighter II. She is a talented fighter who is also a Chinese Interpol agent. Besides that, she is committed to finding justice for her father’s murder that was committed by M. Bison, the evil head of the organization Shadaloo. Her passionate tale and energetic way of fighting have been her main factors in fan love for decades. These major parts have been her characters in both previous movie adaptations.
Liang, the one who is already getting attention in the indie scene, is the one giving the role both dramatic power and physical strength. In addition to Presence, she starred alongside Benedict Wong in the heist movie Bad Genius, appeared in Apple TV+’s Foundation, and featured in ITV’s Tell Me Everything. With a foundation in serious genre storytelling and an expanding resume, Liang’s casting hints that this Chun-Li may be more grounded and emotionally complex than her previous portrayals.
Director Kitao Sakurai’s participation just gives the movie another dimension. People associate him with the combination of absurd humor and inventive visuals. Sakurai’s previous effort in Bad Trip illustrated his ability of fusing stylized action with peculiar stories. To be sure, his take would still be firmly rooted in the game’s craziness but would also reveal more interesting character arcs.
The rest of the announced cast suggests the moviemakers are aiming for a wide appeal. Andrew Koji (Warrior) will play Ryu, with Noah Centineo as Ken Masters, Jason Momoa has been tapped to play the electric mutant Blanka, WWE superstar Roman Reigns will portray the fearsome Akuma, and country artist Orville Peck makes his acting debut as Vega, the masked claw-wielding assassin. Just like their game counterparts, the characters in the new movie also have going for them the physical skills as well as some cool personalities. They are a very diverse group, attracting not only physicality but also personality from their roles, and they have already created an atmosphere for epic battles and traditional feuds.
The last Street Fighter movies were the 1994 cult classic which featured Jean-Claude Van Damme and Ming-Na Wen, and the 2009 spin-off Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li with Kristin Kreuk. The two did not get much critical and commercial success and the only hope is that Legendary’s revitalization, more technically savvy, better narrative, and more authentic tone can finally fulfil the franchise’s big-screen dreams.
movie production is expected to begin soon, and fans are curious to see how Callina Liang’s take on Chun-Li will stack up against previous portrayals. Her appointment as the character may indicate a possible era-changing event for the Street Fighter adaptations that not only take the characters as the game avatars, but also dip into the deep lore that has been the cause of the series’ becoming a game of the first order.
Up to now, a definite date of the movie’s release has not been confirmed, however, an earlier plan is to have the movie released in March 2026. Up to now, fans of the new version of Chun-Li will just have to wait and see whether it will give the franchise's future in movies the powerful beginning that it needs.
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