Sega’s Yakuza game series is receiving a live-action adaptation, according to a report by Variety.
Sega is developing the adaptation with 1212 and Wild Sheep. The latter two are currently looking for script-writers for the project. The adaptation already has three producers in the form of Erik Barmack, Roberto Grande, and Joshua Long.
“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,” 1212 was reported as saying. “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.”
Meanwhile, Barmack said, “With our background in telling global stories, we are excited to bring this huge project to global platforms.”
The first Yakuza game followed yakuza member Kazuma Kiryu, also known as the Dragon of Dojima, who takes the blame for a crime boss’ murder. When he emerges from prison 10 years later, Kiryu discovers that his close friend and fellow yakuza member Akira Nishikiyama isn’t the same person he once was. In addition, his childhood friend Yumi is missing, and ten billion yen has been stolen from his former organization, the Tojo Clan.
There have been seven main entries so far. The first six are third-person open world action games, while the seventh, 2019’s Yakuza: Like A Dragon!, features turn-based combat instead.
