Video Game 'Shinobi' Is Headed To The Big Screen Because There Aren't Enough Ninja Movies

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Believe it or not, I once played video games, and back in the day a game that took up a lot of time on my Sega Master System was "Shinobi." In the game, you played Joe Musashi, a master ninja who had to rescue students from some terrorist bad guys. No, it wasn’t sophisticated, but it was fun, and spawned a series of games. And now it’s spawned a movie — because that’s just the way things work.

Marc Platt Productions and SEGA’s Stories International Inc. are gearing up the big-screen adaptation, but there’s no studio or writer or star or director at this point, so it’s a long way off. But there’s a very simple reason why this happening: There aren’t enough ninja movies. 

READ MORE: Discuss: Can A Good Movie Ever Be Made From A Video Game?

“We love the Shinobi games and believe that the world of ninjas has never been properly explored onscreen. We now have the opportunity to do just that. With ‘Shinobi,’ we hope to make a film that honors the essence of the games and brings this fascinating world to life for moviegoing audiences," producer Marc Platt said (via THR).

Certainly, at least in the blockbuster realm, ninjas have been scarce lately unless you count "Ninja Assassin" or "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," which I don’t think anyone really would. So, we’ll see what happens with this; I’m guessing it’ll be slow going. You might remember that two years ago, Sega shook hands with Sony to make a "Sonic The Hedgehog" movie and nothing has been really heard about that since.