More Sega Games Are Getting Movie Adaptations.
By Yung Namahage • 1 year ago


After the success of both Sonic movies so far, Sega have been determined to get more live-action movies based on their games off the ground. A Streets of Rage movie is already in their works, and now a pair of their classic, often overlooked franchises are getting the movie treatment.



Space Channel 5 is essentially a rhythm combat game originally released for Dreamcast in 1999, then ported to the PS2 in 2002 after the Dreamcast's demise, with a Game Boy Advance following in 2003. You play as a slender reporter named Ulala who dance battles aliens in a retrofuturistic future setting while uncovering the truth behind their invasion. Also, noted friend of Sega Michael Jackson was in it.




The game developed a cult following for its then-unique gameplay, the quirky presentation and for a time Ulala was one of the hottest waifus in gaming. "Space Michael", as he was called, only had a cameo in the first game but was upgraded to main character status in the 2002 sequel Space Channel 5: Part 2. But by the time the series was due to be released outside of Japan in 2003, Earth Micheal Jackson had several abuse allegations against him, causing Sega to supress or even cancel the game's launch in several region. Since then developers United Game Artists were merged with Sonic Team and Ulala was sentenced to only have cameos in other games, like League of Legends and Sonic racing spin-offs.


That was until last year, when Ulala returned in Kinda Funky News Flash, a VR spin-off of the original duology. It had the quirkiness of the other two but was also pretty short, a complaint many had about the other two. Still, it must've been succesful on some level if Sega are deciding to give it a movie adaptation.


The other classic Sega series to win the movie lottery is Comic Zone, the 1995 beat 'em up with a cool comic panel aesthetic. Both movies will be produced by Sega and Picturestart, the studio known for the Step Up and I Know What You Did Last Summer franchises, plus the upcoming Borderlands movie. That's about all we know about them, though. We don't even know for sure if they're live-action just yet.


Both Sega games are known for their strong visual styles, so it'll be interesting to see if they're able to replicate them on the big screen. I haven't played either of 'em (yet) but I'd still watch a movie adaptation of both than a Borderlands movie. But that's just me.


Were you guys expecting Space Channel 5 or Comic Zone to get movie adaptations? Do you think they can pull them off? Let us know below!