Summary
A long-dormantSegaarcade classic is officially making its way to the big screen, with major Hollywood names like Michael Bay and Sydney Sweeney attached to the adaptation.Segais partnering with Universal Pictures to develop a movie based onOutRun, one of the Japanese gaming giant’s most iconic, albeit inactive, racing franchises.
In recent years, Sega has been investing heavily to expand its most popular franchises beyond gaming. TheSonic the Hedgehogmovie trilogy has been a major success since its 2020 debut, with it even having spawned aKnucklesspin-off miniseries. AfourthSonicmovie is on the way, and Sega also adapted theLike a Dragon: Yakuzafranchise into a TV series that premiered last year on Prime Video. Additionally, live-action projects for iconic Sega franchises likeStreets of Rage,Crazy Taxi, andShinobiare on the way, and another one has just joined the list.
A recentreport from Deadlinehas revealed thatSega is adaptingOutRuninto a live-action movie, which will be directed by Michael Bay, best known for explosive action blockbusters likeTransformers,Bad Boys, and theArmageddonseries. The script for theOutrunmovie will be penned by Jayson Rothwell ofPolarandArachnidfame, while prominentEuphoriaandThe White Lotusactress Sydney Sweeney is attached as a producer. At Sega’s end, the live-actionOutrunmovie will be shepherded by senior executive officer Toru Nakahara, who produced theSonic the Hedgehogfilms, and overseen by president and COO Shuji Utsumi. The film will be developed by Universal Pictures, the studio behind themassively successfulSuper Mario Bros. MovieandFive Nights at Freddy’sfilm adaptations.
OutRun Movie Adaptation to Be Directed by Michael Bay and Produced by Sydney Sweeney
OutRun(originally dubbedOut Run) first debuted on arcade systems in 1986 and holds a special place in Sega’s history. Conceived bylegendary Sega game designer Yu Suzuki,OutRunwas groundbreaking at the time for its advanced graphics, smooth gameplay controls, and high-octane soundtrack. Later on,OutRunmade its way to platforms like the Sega Master System, Genesis, Saturn, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Nintendo 3DS, PC, and more. The last entry in the franchise was 2009’sOutRun: Online Arcade, which launched on Xbox 360 and PS3 and saw decent critical reception. By the end of 2011, though, Sega had delistedOutRun: Online Arcadefrom both platforms due to expiration of licenses.
With theOutRunseries having gone without a new game release in over 16 years, its unexpected comeback in the film space could also hint at larger plans for the franchise.Sega has committed to reviving its legacy franchises, and many of its upcoming live-action projects, likeShinobi,Crazy Taxi, andStreets of Rage, are also receiving new game entries in the coming years. WhetherOutRunwill follow this trend, though, remains to be seen.
