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Short answer: most of these films are franchise adaptations, not scene-for-scene versions of one numbered game. The 1994 Street Fighter uses characters and concepts from the series but has no authoritative one-game source identified. The announced 2026 Street Fighter film is built around Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and the World Warrior Tournament, making it closest in structure to the Street Fighter II era without officially claiming to adapt that game. The 1995 Mortal Kombat most clearly follows the original game’s inter-realm tournament premise. The 2021 Mortal Kombat is a reboot that adds the original character Cole Young, while Mortal Kombat II continues that film continuity and is officially described as based on the Ed Boon and John Tobias videogame franchise.
What “based on the game” means for these movies
A fighting game supplies a roster, rivalries, arenas, signature moves and a mythology, but usually not a feature-length plot in the way a story-driven adventure game does. That is why a movie can faithfully use the fighters and tournament idea while inventing its own protagonist, villain structure or chronology.
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For the films discussed here, the useful distinction is between four levels of adaptation:
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- Direct numbered-game adaptation: an official source identifies one specific game as the movie’s source.
- Franchise adaptation: the film is based on the broader series, without a single game supplying the whole screenplay.
- Structural inspiration: the movie borrows a recognizable framework, such as a World Warrior or inter-realm tournament, but does not claim to retell one title.
- Film-continuity sequel: a later movie follows the previous movie’s events while continuing to draw on game mythology.
Using those categories prevents a common mistake: treating familiar character names as proof that every scene comes from a particular game.
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Street Fighter movies: which game does each one follow?
Street Fighter (1994)
Universal’s home-video description calls the film “Based on the best-selling video game.” That is a franchise-level statement, not a claim that the screenplay adapts Street Fighter II, the original arcade game or another numbered entry.
The movie centers on Colonel William Guile and a military ensemble. It uses recognizable Street Fighter identities and concepts, but its plot is an original action story rather than a recreation of an arcade ladder or a tournament bracket. The Guile-led structure is the clearest sign of how much new material the film adds: the game’s broad cast becomes a cinematic ensemble arranged around a military mission and a central antagonist.
No authoritative source establishes one exact game as the screenplay’s source. The most accurate description is therefore a loose adaptation of the Street Fighter franchise. Calling it a direct adaptation of Street Fighter II goes beyond what the official wording supports.
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Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (2009)
This film is a Chun-Li-focused spin-off set in the Street Fighter universe. It expands her personal backstory and places her at the center of a standalone crime-and-martial-arts narrative.
There is no authoritative identification of a single numbered game as its direct source. It should not be labeled an adaptation of Street Fighter II, Street Fighter Alpha or another specific installment. The defensible classification is an original Chun-Li story using Street Fighter characters and setting.
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Street Fighter (2026, announced)
Capcom announced a new live-action project with Legendary in 2023, and filming was reported to have begun in 2025. The official Paramount synopsis gives the film a specific period and premise: “Set in 1993, estranged Street Fighters Ryu (Andrew Koji) and Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) are thrown back into combat when the mysterious Chun-Li (Callina Liang) recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament: a brutal clash of fists, fate, and fury.”
That setup is the strongest Street Fighter example of a movie using the classic World Warrior framework associated with the Street Fighter II era. Ryu, Ken and Chun-Li are central, and the World Warrior Tournament supplies the story’s organizing event. However, the official synopsis does not say “adapted from Street Fighter II,” and it introduces its own relationship dynamics and chronology. Describe it as a new adaptation inspired by the World Warrior period, not as a confirmed one-game retelling.
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Mortal Kombat movies: the game connections are clearer, but not identical
Mortal Kombat (1995)
Hulu’s catalog synopsis describes Liu Kang, Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade as Earth’s representatives in “an ancient martial arts tournament where the greatest fighters from each realm battle for control of the universe.” That is very close to the original Mortal Kombat game’s defining premise: champions from Earthrealm and other realms meet in a high-stakes tournament whose outcome determines the fate of worlds.
The movie also keeps several of the original game’s most recognizable playable characters in central roles. This makes the 1995 film the clearest case in this group of a movie following a particular game concept. Even so, it expands, rearranges and dramatizes the game’s lore for a conventional feature narrative. The safest wording is the film most closely follows the original 1992 Mortal Kombat tournament setup, rather than claiming that every plot beat is taken directly from the game.
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Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)
Annihilation is a sequel to the 1995 movie’s continuity. It broadens the conflict beyond the first film’s tournament and continues the cinematic versions of its characters and rules.
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Available authoritative descriptions do not establish a defensible one-game mapping for the sequel. Although viewers may recognize ideas associated with later games, it should not be presented as a direct adaptation of Mortal Kombat II or any other single numbered installment. Its primary source is the previous movie, with the game franchise supplying the underlying mythology.
Mortal Kombat (2021)
The Central Board of Film Certification describes the reboot as “inspired by the blockbuster video game franchise.” Its synopsis follows MMA fighter Cole Young, who is hunted by Sub-Zero at Shang Tsung’s direction.
Cole Young is an original movie protagonist, not a fighter carried over from the playable roster. His inclusion changes the adaptation model: the film uses established mythology, names, rivalries and visual ideas while giving audiences a new viewpoint character through whom the tournament world is introduced.
For that reason, the 2021 movie is best classified as a reboot or reimagining inspired by Mortal Kombat, not a direct retelling of one game. Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Sonya Blade, Liu Kang, Raiden and other familiar figures connect the film to the series, but Cole’s journey and the film’s sequence of revelations are original cinematic material.
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Mortal Kombat II (2026)
The official New Line Cinema synopsis presents this film as the next installment after Simon McQuoid’s 2021 movie and says it is “based on the videogame created by Ed Boon and John Tobias.” That wording confirms the franchise’s creators and the film’s relationship to the games, but it does not identify one numbered game as the sole screenplay source.
Its most important continuity link is therefore cinematic: it follows the 2021 reboot rather than restarting from the 1995 film. Expect the sequel to continue the reboot’s character arcs and world rules while drawing on the wider Mortal Kombat roster and mythology. Unless an official production statement names a specific game, call it a sequel to the 2021 film based on the Mortal Kombat franchise.
Side-by-side comparison
| Film | Release or status | Closest game connection | What the movie adds or changes | Best description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Street Fighter | 1994 | Street Fighter franchise broadly; no single game identified | Guile-led military plot and original ensemble structure | Loose franchise adaptation |
| Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li | 2009 | Street Fighter setting; no authoritative numbered-game mapping | Original Chun-Li origin and crime story | Character-focused spin-off |
| Street Fighter | 2026, announced | World Warrior Tournament framework associated with the Street Fighter II era | New 1993 setting and relationship-driven setup | New adaptation inspired by classic tournament material |
| Mortal Kombat | 1995 | Original game’s inter-realm tournament premise and roster concept | Feature-length character arcs and reordered lore | Closest to a specific game setup |
| Mortal Kombat: Annihilation | 1997 | No defensible single-game mapping established | Continues the 1995 movie’s continuity | Film-continuity sequel |
| Mortal Kombat | 2021 | Broader franchise mythology | Original protagonist Cole Young and rebooted story structure | Reboot/reimagining |
| Mortal Kombat II | 2026, announced | Ed Boon and John Tobias’ videogame franchise; no sole numbered source named | Continues the 2021 film continuity | Franchise-based cinematic sequel |
Why Mortal Kombat’s 1995 film feels more directly adapted
The difference is structural. The first Mortal Kombat game is remembered for a clear narrative hook: fighters from different realms enter a tournament with world-ending consequences. That premise transfers directly to a movie because it already supplies a location, a progression of opponents and a reason to assemble a mixed cast.
Street Fighter’s games are also built around competition, but their stories are distributed across character endings, rival encounters and later lore. A filmmaker can therefore choose a military mission, a revenge story or a tournament and still be using recognizable Street Fighter material. The 1994 movie chooses Guile’s military perspective; the 2026 project chooses Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and the World Warrior event.
How to judge adaptation fidelity when watching
Check the stated source
Words such as “based on the videogame franchise” identify a broad source. They do not establish that the movie follows a particular numbered title. A direct-game claim requires an official synopsis, production statement or other authoritative source that names that game.
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Separate roster fidelity from plot fidelity
A film can preserve a character’s name, costume and fighting style while changing the character’s job, relationships or motivation. Guile’s military leadership in 1994 and Cole Young’s existence in 2021 are examples of major plot inventions that coexist with familiar fighters.
Look for the tournament model
The 1995 Mortal Kombat uses an inter-realm championship with existential stakes. The announced 2026 Street Fighter uses the World Warrior Tournament. These frameworks are meaningful links to the games, but they are not by themselves proof that the movie adapts one exact installment.
Track continuity separately from game numbering
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation follows the 1995 film, and Mortal Kombat II follows the 2021 reboot. A sequel’s title may resemble a game title while its immediate narrative source is another movie. The same principle applies when evaluating any future Street Fighter sequel.
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Street Fighter
- Capcom and Legendary announced the live-action project in 2023.
- Filming was reported to have begun in 2025.
- The official synopsis places the story in 1993.
- Ryu, Ken Masters and Chun-Li are named as central characters.
- The World Warrior Tournament is the central event.
- No official synopsis confirms a direct adaptation of Street Fighter II or another single game.
Mortal Kombat II
- It is described as the next installment after the 2021 film.
- The official synopsis credits the videogame created by Ed Boon and John Tobias.
- The wording establishes franchise inspiration and film continuity, not a one-game-only adaptation.
The clearest answer for each franchise
If you want one sentence for Street Fighter, say: the movies adapt the franchise’s characters and fighting-world concepts; the 2026 film most visibly draws on the World Warrior Tournament associated with the Street Fighter II period, but no Street Fighter movie listed here is officially confirmed as a literal adaptation of one numbered game.
For Mortal Kombat, say: the 1995 film most closely follows the original game’s inter-realm tournament premise, while the 2021 reboot and 2026 sequel use the broader mythology and add or continue movie-original material.
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