SF film writer explains Chun-Li focus

By Robert Purchese Published 8 May, 2008

She's "not just a sex object fantasy".

Street Fighter movie writer Justin Marks has said he picked Chun-Li as the focus because films are about unexpected heroes, and not so he could have a "blatantly sexualised female lead".

He acknowledges that Ryu and Ken are "the muscle" of the familiar series, but says Chun-Li is the "heart and soul" because her father was taken from her; she is the little girl that everyone wrote off.

The part of Chun-Li will be played by lovely Smallville [and Edgemont - Dep Ed] star Kristin Kreuk, but Justin Marks sees her in more of a Ripley from Aliens role than any-of-them from Dead or Alive.

"First, I've never seen a successful action movie (in my mind) that blatantly sexualised its female lead and succeeded for its audience; Catwoman, Elektra, the list goes on and on," Justin Marks told JoBlo.

"Then I think back to The Terminator, or possibly my all-time favourite movie, Aliens, and I think of how Ripley is depicted in that film. She's a tough woman, but not because she came from a place of wearing tight pants and beating up men. She's tough because she had this core emotional story about a life that could have been and never was. To me, that's the way you write a woman in these kinds of movies."

Justin Marks also said Kristin herself is very picky about what she does because she realises young girls look up to her, although he admits writing her into a "very steamy" club scene where she does some "awesome" things to get what she needs.

"We've gone to great lengths to make sure Chun-Li is not just a sex object fantasy for people's desktop backgrounds," continued Marks. "That was something Kristin made very clear, and we're honoured that she's willing to go that route, because it's one of the factors that's going to elevate this above adolescent video-game adaptation.

"That said, did I mention Kristin is gorgeous? And there's one very steamy night club scene where she does awesome things to get the information she needs." Anyone for table tennis, perhaps?

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li is filming now and due for release next year, when the game series turns 20 years old.

It has absolutely nothing to do with the previous Street Fighter film in case you're wondering, and takes place entirely in its own world. Marks says we should think of the difference between Batman Begins and Batman and Robin as an example.

He goes on to reveal "there are always plans" to do sequels so he could explore the Street Fighter world further, and believes his debut will be good enough to warrant one.

"Hopefully Street Fighter sets a new standard. I certainly believe it will. It's a game adaptation that takes itself seriously, because the material actually deserves to be taken seriously for those of us who were paying attention to the story and the anime series," concluded Marks.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (35) Latest comment 4 years ago

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  • Ranger101 #1 4 years ago

    Fuck off. Ryu has always been the heart and soul - thats why SF2 was sub-titled "The World Warrior". It's always been about Ryu's zen-buddhist journey. And knocking heads.

    It's called STREET Fighter for a reason. Not INTERPOL Fighter.
    Edited by 1 at 08/05/08 @ 16:14

  • Muddtallica #2 4 years ago

    I somehow suspect that this article represents the first and last time a comparison is made between Batman Begins and this film.

  • Ranger101 #3 4 years ago

    I disagree. In a few years time we'll have a thread somewhere saying

    "Remember the time when they tried to compare SF2:Chunli to Batman Begins! Ah chortle at them old days!"

  • nickthegun #4 4 years ago

    Its not like Kristen Kreuk has ever played a 2nd tier character who has inexplicably stolen the focus from the main event, just because the producers want to pork her before.

    Oh...wait....

  • absolutezero #5 4 years ago

    She's "not just a sex object fantasy".

    She really is. Have you seen those thighs?

  • Ranger101 #6 4 years ago

    Don't get me wrong though, I'd like to see Kreuk in some tight arse leggings ala SFA or knicker flashing/saucy stocking wearing ala SF2/SF3:3S. Pipe dreams for boobage exposure dans le SF2:Animated though. (I haven't done this writer any favours have I?)

    Anyway, taking this far to seriously - this is PR afterall for a film that really shouldn't have been.

    Is she going to do a better job than Jackie Chan though?
    Edited by 1 at 08/05/08 @ 16:20

  • Dynamize #7 4 years ago

    She's "not just a sex object fantasy".

    She is.

  • ianegg #8 4 years ago

    The are plenty of beautiful Chinese actresses who actually know martial arts and would fit the role far better than a partially Chinese decended American who will probably look like a pretty girl flailing her arms around. I can't see a Street Fighter movie being any good if the actors can't actually fight.

  • Ranger101 #9 4 years ago

    It'll be "Buffy the Street Fighter".


    (It's a slow work day for me today).

  • Pac-man-ate-my-wife #10 4 years ago

    She's "not just a sex object fantasy".

    She is.

    I agree!

    ...

    OGC

  • Brodie #11 4 years ago

    It'll be "Buffy the Street Fighter".

    *starts queing for tickets*
    Edited by 1 at 08/05/08 @ 17:05

  • Schiraman #12 4 years ago

    Hmm. I suspect if his aim is to create a film on par with Terminator and Aliens that he may end up falling a little bit short of that.

    As for Street Fighter deserving to be taken seriously and having a great story... WTF? He clearly wasn't paying attention to the games if that's really what he thinks.

  • 5lectro #13 4 years ago

    "It's a game adaptation that takes itself seriously, because the material actually deserves to be taken seriously for those of us who were paying attention to the story and the anime series"

    I think the first ones not taking their material seriously are Capcom themselves. There is no way you can take Street Fighter's canon plot seriously. Same for Resident Evil.

  • Dynamize #14 4 years ago

    Shut up Schiraman! The legends are super-compelling! When Balrog punched one of Dhalsim's elephants and killed it, Dhalsim HAD to swear revenge. Best motivation for a fictional character ever.

  • Muddtallica #15 4 years ago

    Dynamize: That's good, but for my money the prize for best backstory has to go to Zangief, as described on Wikipedia:"He built his strength by wrestling polar bears, gaining many fearsome scars in the process, concocting his trademark Spinning Piledriver after being picked up by a cyclone while performing a piledriver on a bear."

    If they have THAT scene in the film, then I'm willing to start queuing now.

  • HermitArcader #16 4 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • Razorus #17 4 years ago

    "...there's one very steamy night club scene where she does awesome things to get the information she needs."

    I'm going to assume she will be forced to do a strip tease for some generic mob boss. Or give one of the henchmen some lightening thigh massage. But don't worry, she won't be a sex object in this film. Unless I photoshop that shit.
    Edited by 1 at 08/05/08 @ 19:51

  • Razz #18 4 years ago

    She's "not just a sex object fantasy".

    Aww... man. :(

    Someone really needs to make a Chung Li porno.
    Edited by 1 at 08/05/08 @ 19:55

  • bonker #19 4 years ago

    Any girl dressed like that and in dark brown tights is an instant sex object.

    Unless, y'know, it's just me like ...

  • Coughthulu #20 4 years ago

    @wired_protocol

    I'm afraid I really have to disagree.

    At least Ed Wood was passionate about his films, and *tried*. :)

  • 7creature #21 4 years ago

    She's "not just a sex object fantasy".

    ORLY?

  • penhalion #22 4 years ago

    Chun-Li's story!

    I hope whoever is financing this pulls the plug before this crap goes too far into production.
    ;)

  • JDub #23 4 years ago

    Terminator? Aliens? What?!

  • ciril #24 4 years ago

    That must be the reason why we've been fed all those sexy images of her over the years, just so some dude now can give her "personality" :)

  • Kami #25 4 years ago

    "First, I've never seen a successful action movie (in my mind) that blatantly sexualised its female lead and succeeded for its audience; Catwoman, Elektra, the list goes on and on,"

    Three words.

    Dead or Alive.

    Case closed.

  • Davemanz #26 4 years ago

    So he says she's not going to be used as a sex object...and then proceeds to boast about a scene in which she's used as a sex object. Great. Betty Friedan would be proud.

  • Lamb #27 4 years ago

    Chun Li is all about the long legs and really high skirt revealling scintillating thighs. Heh, heh! Sexualize it and make it good, it will be compared to the first film which was great because of Raul Julia's excellent portrayal of a caricature cartoon dictator, Van Dammes liberal use of the word dick head and little Kylie Minogue playing Kami, that Chun Li also came across as sexy, feisty and mad when "interviewed" by Raul's Bison Playboy style.

    Already its at a loss without Raul's presence but time will tell.

  • Gnort #28 4 years ago

    Uh, I always thought Ryu and Ken were the heart and soul of the series. The only reason Chun Li is so popular is because she IS seen as a sex object by thousands of gamers who used to stare at those thighs in their formative years.

    Also, @Davemanz
    "So he says she's not going to be used as a sex object...and then proceeds to boast about a scene in which she's used as a sex object."

    +1

  • convercide #29 4 years ago

    Will anyone else be getting it when it comes out on DVD and pausing it at the right moment during the spinning bird kick so you can see her underwear?

  • morriss #30 4 years ago

    He's reaching.

  • hiddenranbir #31 4 years ago

    It is sex. It is always about sex.

  • JonFE #32 4 years ago

    @Gnort:
    "Uh, I always thought Ryu and Ken were the heart and soul of the series."

    You and probably every SF2 fan under the sun, I guess :)

  • Kami #33 4 years ago

    "and little Kylie Minogue playing Kami"

    I wish she was playing (with) me... I can only dream of those soft supple legs wrapped around my... err, umm... where was I again? Oh yeah, it's Cammy.
    Edited by 1 at 09/05/08 @ 11:21

  • GordonCaladan #34 4 years ago

    She doesn't have the legs. No-one does.

  • SomaticSense #35 4 years ago

    "He acknowledges that Ryu and Ken are "the muscle" of the familiar series, but says Chun-Li is the "heart and soul" because her father was taken from her; she is the little girl that everyone wrote off."

    Oh fuck off. It's an adaptation of a fighting game, it isn't Ico. Stop talking complete bullshit, and make the bloody film so we can then all avoid it like the plague.

    And Chun Li isn't a sex object? Yes she is. She exists in the games PURELY for that reason, and considering you've clearly hired someone completely unsuited for the role purely down to her looks, suggests to anyone with an ounce of common sense that your film is going to be treating her as such as well.

    ""First, I've never seen a successful action movie (in my mind) that blatantly sexualised its female lead and succeeded for its audience; Catwoman, Elektra..........."

    ....... and Street Figher: The Legend of Chun Li.
    Edited by 1 at 09/05/08 @ 17:00