Netflix has acquired the rights to the Sifu movie in the works from John Wick franchise director Chad Stahelski.
The Sifu adaptation was first reported on back in December 2022, less than a year after the game's initial release on PlayStation and PC. At the time, the project was described as a live-action adaptation of the game with John Wick writer and creator Derek Kolstad attached to pen the script and his production company, Story Kitchen, winning a competitive bid for the rights.
Now, more than two years later, Netflix has "come aboard" the project and will be streaming it when it releases at an undisclosed date. Notably, Kolstad isn't mentioned in the press release or in Deadline's reporting , but Story Kitchen is still listed as a producer.
Meanwhile Stahelski, who directed John Wick 1-4, is producing under his 87Eleven Entertainment, alongside Dmitri M. Johnson and Mike Goldberg for Story Kitchen.
"From the moment we played, we knew this had all the makings of an unforgettable cinematic experience—pulse-pounding action, deep emotional stakes, and a unique take on martial arts storytelling," said Johnson and Goldberg in a joint statement. "Teaming up with 87Eleven Entertainment, the best in the world when it comes to action filmmaking, is a dream come true. Their mastery of choreography and visceral storytelling is the perfect match to bring SIFU to life on screen. With Netflix behind us, we're ready to deliver an action film unlike any other."
T.S. Nowlin, best known for writing The Maze Runner movie trilogy, is penning the Sifu script.
Sifu is an action-packed martial arts story set in modern-day China, putting players into the shoes of a martial arts school's sifu (master) who's dead-set on delivering justice to those responsible for their father's death.
Only time will tell whether Sifu ultimately joins the ranks of the best video game movies ever, but it's looking pretty good on paper so far.
