Sega's iconic arcade racing game, OutRun, is set to hit the big screen in a surprising movie adaptation, with renowned director Michael Bay and actress Sydney Sweeney attached to the project. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal Pictures has enlisted Bay, known for his work on the Transformers series, to direct and produce the film. Sweeney, who has also signed on as a producer, will be joined by screenwriter Jayson Rothwell. While plot details remain under wraps and no release date has been announced, anticipation is already building.
On the Sega front, Toru Nakahara, a key figure in the Sonic movie franchise, will serve as a producer, with Sega America and Europe CEO Shuji Utsumi overseeing the project. OutRun, originally launched in 1986, was a groundbreaking arcade driving game crafted by the legendary Sega developer Yu Suzuki. Over the years, it has seen various versions and ports, with a notable sequel released in 2003. The most recent iteration was Sumo Digital's OutRun Online Arcade in 2009, but the franchise has been relatively quiet since then.
Sega has been actively revisiting its extensive back catalog, with new titles in development for Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Golden Axe, Virtua Fighter, and Shinobi. Additionally, Sega has been successful in adapting its intellectual properties for other media, with the Sonic movies achieving significant popularity and the Like a Dragon: Yakuza series making its mark on Amazon last year. The demand for video game adaptations continues to grow, as evidenced by the record-breaking success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie and the recent release of A Minecraft Movie.
As for the OutRun movie, fans might expect a thrilling, Fast & Furious-style driving and action film, given Michael Bay's directorial style and the game's high-speed racing theme. With such a talented team behind it, the OutRun movie promises to be an exciting addition to the growing list of video game adaptations.
