The upcoming Street Fighter film introduces an exciting animated element.

The team behind the new Street Fighter movie has been keeping an exciting secret: a significant portion of the film is presented through classic 2D animation, paying homage to the ’90s. Set in 1993, the same year Capcom launched Super Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers in arcades, this film is a nostalgic trip back in time.

Given its rich ’90s aesthetic, incorporating sequences inspired by Japanese animation to narrate parts of Street Fighter’s story feels like a natural fit. According to director and co-writer Kitao Sakurai, this approach helps avoid any “cheesy” moments during pivotal emotional scenes.

The animation is primarily used for flashbacks, showcasing Ken and Ryu’s training under their mentor, Master Gouken (played by Don Lee). The film kicks off with an animated segment that recounts the first World Warrior tournament and delves into the legendary rivalries that define Street Fighter lore.

In a conversation with Sakurai, I inquired about the decision to blend 2D animation into the live-action film.

“When we were writing, we realized we needed to explore the emotional backstories of Ken and Ryu to understand what brought them to this point, as that’s the core of the story,” Sakurai shared. “Typically, for flashbacks, you’d either de-age the actors or cast child actors, but that didn’t fit the tone we were aiming for.”

Sakurai emphasized that this stylistic choice aligns perfectly with the Street Fighter franchise.

“We recognized that Street Fighter has a deep connection to anime,” he noted. “So we thought, why not take a bold step and animate these backstory sequences, creating vibrant bursts of energy instead of something that might feel out of place?”

To bring this vision to life, the team collaborated with Titmouse, a well-known animation studio based in Los Angeles. With over 25 years of experience, Titmouse has worked on notable projects like Critical Role’s The Legend of Vox Machina, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and Star Trek: Lower Decks. They also recently animated the video game adaptation Golden Axe and previously contributed to Street Fighter’s collaboration with Overwatch.

Sakurai explained, “Choosing Titmouse was about honoring the ‘90s and the films I loved growing up, like Akira, Ghost in the Shell, and Street Fighter 2: The Animated Movie. I wanted to capture that same style and technique. Titmouse is passionate about traditional hand-drawn animation, and I’m proud that every frame in this movie is hand-drawn. It’s completely organic and real, which makes it special. You can really see the incredible effort that went into it.”

Fans of Street Fighter 2: The Animated Movie might catch a few nods to that classic adaptation when the new Street Fighter hits theaters on October 16.

Kitao Sakurai’s Street Fighter movie looks like a blast — bring it on!