It’s an excellent time to be a video game fan. With several adaptations in the works, Netflix just announced that it will embrace another one: the streaming giant is boarding the adaptation of Sifu, the popular fighting game that was first released in 2022. Martial arts fans will be happy to know that the streamer brought in John Wick director and master stunt performer Chad Stahelski to serve as producer. Stahelski’s involvement is unsurprising. Not only has he become a legend in the action genre, but he’s also attached to another gestating video game adaptation with Ghost of Tsushima. A release window is yet to be announced.
With the adaptation in the works, the question in fans’ minds is: how will the game be adapted to the movie format? The original story follows a martial arts young student in modern China who decides to avenge the death of his master. This part would be pretty easy to adapt, of course. The problem is Sifu’s gimmick: in the video game, the apprentice has a talisman that brings him back to life every time he dies, but he comes back older and retains his martial arts knowledge. The older the character gets, the more damage they do, but the less health they have. If he gets too old too fast, his death becomes final.
Sifu is by no means an impossible adaptation, but the screenplay will be fundamental to making the story fun for audiences. To take on the task of adapting the story, Netflix enlisted the help of T.S. Nowlin – a screenwriter who has a pretty decent slate of adaptations under his belt. He’s the one who adapted the Maze Runner trilogy for the big screen, and also co-wrote Pacific Rim: Uprising. Recently, Nowlin dealt with the concept of time and different versions of the same person in the Netflix film The Adam Project.
‘Sifu’ Has Been Adapted Before

The adaptation of Sifu is timely. While some video games take years to find a silver screen counterpart, the new title was fast-tracked to Hollywood once it became a surprise hit. The game sold over a million copies in just three weeks, and not by chance, as the story has already earned an adaptation. Last year, Sifu was the theme of one of the episodes from Secret Level – the Prime Video series features standalone episodes that tell alternate stories from famous video game titles. Aside from Sifu, the series also featured episodes from Mega Man, Pac Man, Armored Core and others.
While Netflix doesn’t reveal a release date for Sifu, video game fans have plenty to look forward to. Next month the hit game Until Dawn gets adapted into a horror movie – time loops included. In a couple of months, The Last of Us returns for its highly anticipated Season 2. Mortal Kombat 2 is also coming down the line, as well as a surprising Minecraft adaptation.
Netflix is yet to announce further details about the Sifu adaptation, including cast and director. Stick to Collider to find out more news as soon as it is announced.

Secret Level

Release Date

December 10, 2024

Network

Amazon Prime Video