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Saints Row is getting a direct-to-film live-action movie

Saints Row is getting the movie treatment soon, though you won't see the flick in theaters.

Brittany Vincent

May 1, 2019 8:35 AM

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It looks like the Third Street Saints are getting their own movie.

Deadline reports that F. Gary Gray is planning to direct a film based on the series, with the Mortal Kombat movie reboot Greg Russo writing the script. Gray took on Straight Outta Compton as well as Men In Black: International, starring Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson.

But despite Gray's movie red, it looks like this particular movie release is targeting a direct-to-film debut rather than a theatrical run. That's probably to be expected from a video game movie, but it's interesting that it's even being made in the first place.

Saints Row has four main games, however, so it's not clear if this movie will incorporate elements from all of them or simply create a new story using similar (or the same) characters going forward. There aren't any real details to go on at the moment other than the fact that it's a co-production between publisher Koch Media, Occupant Entertainment, and Fenix Studios.

As far as Saints Row goes, if you haven't ever played one, it's Grand Theft Auto's hilarious, wacky cousin. Our original review of Saints Row: The Third went a little something like this:

"While Saints Row has generally been labeled a "GTA clone," it also adds meaningful progression to the genre. For example, the game's GPS feature easily bests Rockstar's efforts. When active, virtual arrows appeared, in racing-game fashion, to direct the next turn en route to the objective. It's an utterly brilliant design choice that allowed me to keep my eyes trained on the game world, instead of a mini-map on the corner of the screen. Driving vehicles takes the arcade approach favoring fun over strict simulation, making it easy to tear up the city streets like a Hollywood stuntman. And some of the game's aircraft are a particular joy to pilot, given their Harrier-like abilities to hover or soar. Not many open-world games can claim to have a variety of such fun, easily accessible vehicles."

Will the movie be any good? We'll have to wait and see. Of course you know it has to have Johnny Gat in it somehow, though. That's an important prerequisite.

Brittany Vincent

Senior Editor

Fueled by horror, rainbow-sugar-pixel-rushes, and video games, Brittany is a Senior Editor at Shacknews who thrives on surrealism and ultraviolence. Follow her on Twitter @MolotovCupcake and check out her portfolio for more. Like a fabulous shooter once said, get psyched!