The Cleveland-Raised Filmmaker Behind “Street Fighter” Found Early Inspiration on Ohio Stages

As Kitao Sakurai approached his high school senior exams, he had a tough choice to make.

After starting as a child actor, appearing opposite Gina Gershon in Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back and Kevin Smith’s Dogma, Sakurai had become infatuated with filmmaking. He was a regular at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque, attended Spike and Mike’s Festival of Animation every year, and even shot his debut short film Coda at his high school. 

“Because I had those experiences, I knew what I wanted to do from middle school,” Sakurai says.

So when a retrospective of Robert Altman films was scheduled for the same weeks as his exams at University School, Sakurai prioritized seeing the likes of Three Women, Nashville and The Long Goodbye over studying.

It’s safe to say Sakurai made the right choice. He went on to direct episodes of The Eric Andre Show, Dave and Beef, as well as the feature films Bad Trip and now Street Fighter, the blockbuster adaptation of the beloved video game series set for release in theaters on Oct. 16.

While Street Fighter might seem very different from the anarchic comedies he’s previously made, Sakurai insists the action comedy uses all of the filmmaking skills he’s acquired throughout his career.

“It’s pulling from all the things that I connect with. It’s very much in step with my approach. I’m very lucky that Capcom and Legendary wanted something that felt so singular and weird and not like other typical IP-based stuff,” he says.

Sakurai was born in Kyoto, Japan, and moved to Cleveland Heights when he was 3 years old. He attended a Japanese Saturday school that inspired his love of the arts, as he watched tapes of Japanese animation and television shows. Soon he blossomed from a “super shy child” into acting.

“Being a performer was my connection to the world, in a weird way,” he says.

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At 5, Sakurai auditioned at the Cleveland Play House, and later was spotted by an agent, leading to small roles in Cleveland, Columbus and Pittsburgh productions. Being on movie sets helped Sakurai understand the filmmaking process from a very early age.

“I saw how the magic of cinema was combined with the practicality of creating something,” he says.

He dove headfirst into honing his creative craft. Sakurai entered a youth playwriting program at the Cleveland Play House when he was 12 years old. That’s also where he played Tiny Tim in their production of A Christmas Carol and starred in The Butcher’s Daughter. He then worked with the Dobama Theatre and had a number of productions he’d written put on through its Marilyn Bianchi Kids’ Playwriting Festival.

Rather than going to film school, Sakurai dropped out of college at 19. He headed to New York and worked as a cinematographer on numerous indie films and music videos.

The allure of directing his own debut feature proved too strong, though. In 2010, he returned to Cleveland to shoot the thriller Aardvark, the story of a blind, recovering alcoholic who becomes best friends with a jiujitsu instructor.

“I really wanted to reflect my reality of Cleveland with the film,” he says.

It was around that time that Sakurai met comedian Eric Andre, whom he would go on to work with for over a decade.

“Eric wanted to do this talk show that took place in the future. It was very Eric. Very hyperactive and crazy,” he says. “We spent all summer when we were, like, 23 or 24, making this sizzle reel. Everyone in Hollywood rejected it. Except for Adult Swim, who said it was perfect.”

Sakurai moved to Los Angeles and directed every episode of The Eric Andre Show over the next 11 years, as the show amassed a cult audience.

“There was just something so special about Eric and how he sees the world,” he says. 

Sakurai wants Street Fighter to feel just as unique.

“Street Fighter as a franchise has this crazy tone to it, because it doesn’t take itself too seriously but explores serious themes,” he says.

The film combines practical special effects and real action stunts in the style of Jet Li and Jackie Chan.

“I want it to have emotional pathos and feel handmade,” Sakurai says. “That’s what makes films charming. That’s what I was connecting with all those years ago with the films at the Cinematheque.”  

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