For any readers who grew up as video game fans in the 1980s and early-90s, we’ve got some great news. Yes, as the title says, the legendary Shinobi franchise is being adapted for the big screen.

The Shinobi series debuted way back in 1987, landing on the SEGA Master System after an arcade run before hitting Commodores, Amigas, Ataris, Amstrads, and PCs across many a bedroom. Gameplay-wise, the side-scrolling action saw players take on the mantle of the titular ninja, also known as Joe Musashi, throwing shurikens at the bad guys whilst also slicing your way through most problems with your trusty sword. Many a sequel or relaunch have arrived over the years, taking in a whole host of platforms from Mega Drive to Game Gear, from Saturn to Playstation, from DS to Wii, and everywhere in between.

With a glutton of Shinobi titles to look back on, two games in particular stand out above the pack: 1989’s Shadow Dancer and 1991’s The Revenge of Shinobi. Shadow Dancer was just totally badass for the fact that, as well as your own ninja skills, you had a canine companion to control and sic on the bad guys. As for The Revenge of Shinobi, this took everything that was great about the previous two outings (bar your faithful pooch) and amped them up to 11.

Producer Marc Platt and his Marc Platt Productions are teaming up with the Stories International arm of SEGA for this movie take on the property. Platt and Adam Siegel will be producing along with Tomoya Suzuki.

On this news, Marc Platt said, “We love the Shinobi games and believe that the world of ninjas has never been properly explored on screen. We now have the opportunity to do just that. With Shinobi, we hope to make a film that honours the essence of the games and brings this fascinating world to life for moviegoing audiences.”

Tomoya Suzuki added, “Marc, Adam and the team at Marc Platt Productions are the perfect partners to bring the beloved SEGA character Joe Musashi and the Shinobi game franchise to the big screen. We are thrilled to work with them.”

This isn’t the first SEGA franchise to be lined up by Stories International, with them also looking at film, TV or digital projects based on the likes of Golden Axe, Altered Beast, Crazy Taxi and Virtua Fighter.

Expect more on this as it develops.