The Big Picture Talk to Me directors Danny and Michael Philippou have been recruited by Capcom and Legendary Entertainment to helm a new Street Fighter movie. The Philippou brothers’ exceptional feature debut and hugely impressive action and stunt-heavy YouTube videos make them an ideal choice for the game adaptation. They’re excited to have the chance to create an action film with big set pieces and to pay tribute to key elements of Street Fighter lore including the Hadoukens, locations, and more.
Whether you’re a longtime Street Fighter fan or not, the moment you see Danny and Michael Philippou’s first feature, Talk To Me, you’ll be eager to catch any film they’re associated with, the new Street Fighter movie included.

Not long after Talk To Me made waves at Sundance 2023 and continued to build buzz at SXSW, the Philippou brothers scored their very first studio gig. Capcom and Legendary Entertainment recruited the YouTubers-turned-filmmakers to helm a new big screen adaptation of the iconic fighting game.

It’s no wonder the companies zeroed in on the duo. Not only is Talk To Me an exceptional feature debut powered by a hugely catchy horror high concept, stellar performances, and top-notch camerawork, but their YouTube videos on their RackaRacka channel also showcase their wildly impressive skill set as action directors. Even without significant studio budgets, the brothers have been able to pull off countless extreme stunts and elaborate fight scenes, many of which feature rock-solid special and visual effects.

In fact, the duo even showed off those skills live at San Diego Comic-Con this year. During the Talk to Me SDCC screening after-party, Michael Philippou did a wicked blood-soaked stunt performance right smack in the middle of the room. It was downright incredible and made that particular party one of the most memorable Comic-Con events I’ve attended in my 10+ years of covering the convention.

Image via Sundance

Earlier that day, the Philippous swung by the Collider SDCC 2023 studio for an interview. Most of the conversation revolved around Talk to Me spoilers, so we won’t release the full interview until the movie hits theaters on July 28th, but they also took a moment to chat about their hopes for their new Street Fighter movie. Here’s what Danny Philippou said when asked why that particular film is an ideal next step for them as directors:

“I think it’s awesome that we have such a connection with the game and to the characters and there’s not a pre-established big film franchise where we have to fall in line of an overall plot. I think we’d have the freedom to create what that overall art could be if it was gonna be a bunch of films. And also, we’d love the chance to do an action film. We’d love the chance to do big set pieces of a big budget because even on our YouTube stuff, we’re designing stunt rigs that had never been done before. And to do that on a grand scale, man, I feel like we could create something no one’s ever seen before.”

Michael Philippou added, “Diving into the lore of Street Fighter, all the characters, where they come from has been so exciting. You just get endless ideas, so putting them to screen, yeah, I think we can make something special.”

As for specific elements of Street Fighter lore they know they must do justice on screen, Danny Philippou made sure to mention the Hadoukens, the characters’ special attacks. “We definitely want to pay tribute to all the Hadoukens and all the characters’ powers. I think that’s an amazing thing to be able to translate and put on screen.” He also added, “To create some of those impossible moves on camera I think would be incredible.”

Michael Philippou noted a goal to highlight the different Street Fighter levels/locations. “Even the settings, the levels, where the fights are based, they’re so iconic. Doing justice to them, bringing that visually to life, and just capturing that fun energy of Street Fighter.”

Danny also shared his enthusiasm for what they’ll be able to accomplish in terms of character backstory; “And then something — I don’t know if we’d change [it], but I think that there’s a lot of backstory with the characters, but it’s cool that we could have the essence of a character and then give them a deeper, richer …” Michael was quick to jump in and point out, “But it’s rich. It’s rich when you look at it. There’s so many comics and books based on the characters.”

When the brothers’ attachment to Street Fighter was first announced, many assumed that’d be their second feature. However, Danny noted that might not be the case during our interview. He said, “I will say, I don’t know if that’s gonna be our second film. We could squeeze in another one before that.”

Given the fact that almost all productions are on hold due to the WGA and SAG strikes, this Legendary project won’t be able to move forward until a deal is made. However, perhaps the Philippou brothers will be able to whip up another independent feature in the meantime. They have expressed interest in making Talk To Me sequels, so perhaps that could be next up for the duo. While SAG is handling these arrangements on a case-by-case basis, a number of A24 films have recently been granted approval to film during the strikes.

While we wait for more information on the Philippou’s next move, check out our Sundance 2023 Talk To Me interview below and keep an eye out for our spoiler-filled SDCC 2023 chat coming soon!