Sega's iconic arcade racing game, OutRun, is set to hit the big screen in a surprising movie adaptation, with acclaimed director Michael Bay and actress Sydney Sweeney attached to the project. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal Pictures has tapped Bay, known for directing the Transformers series, to helm and produce the OutRun movie, while Sweeney will also serve as a producer. The screenplay is being penned by Jayson Rothwell, though plot details remain under wraps, and no release date has been announced yet.
On the Sega side of the production, Toru Nakahara, who previously worked on the Sonic movies, will produce the film, with Sega America and Europe CEO Shuji Utsumi overseeing the project. OutRun, which first debuted in 1986, was designed by legendary Sega developer Yu Suzuki and has been celebrated for its impressive graphics. Over the years, it has seen various versions and ports, with its latest iteration being OutRun Online Arcade released by Sumo Digital in 2009.
Sega has been actively revisiting its extensive back catalogue, with new games in development for titles like Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Golden Axe, Virtua Fighter, and Shinobi. Additionally, Sega has been successful in adapting its intellectual properties into other media, with the Sonic movies achieving significant popularity and an adaptation of Like a Dragon: Yakuza launching on Amazon last year. The success of video game adaptations like The Super Mario Bros. Movie and A Minecraft Movie has further fueled Hollywood's interest in this genre.
As for the potential direction of the OutRun film, fans might speculate that Michael Bay and Sydney Sweeney could be envisioning a high-octane, action-packed driving movie reminiscent of the Fast & Furious franchise.
