’Street Fighter’ Presales Land Between He-Man and Mortal Kombat as Box Office Forecasts Split

Video game adaptations have had a rocky ride at the box office this year, and Paramount’s ‘Street Fighter‘ is stepping into the ring with plenty to prove. Directed by Kitao Sakurai and produced with Legendary and Capcom, the PG-13 action film arrives on October 16 with a colorful ensemble led by Andrew Koji, Noah Centineo, Callina Liang, and David Dastmalchian, plus Jason Momoa, Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, and 50 Cent.

The genre’s recent track record has been mixed at best. Warner Bros.’ ‘Mortal Kombat II’ opened to $38.5 million in May and finished with about $129.4 million worldwide on an $80 million budget, while Amazon MGM’s ‘Masters of the Universe’ debuted to $29.3 million before stalling around $113 million worldwide against a reported budget north of $170 million.

Now the first presale results for ‘Street Fighter’ are coming in, and they’re drawing mixed reactions. According to X account Global Box Office, the film had weak first days of presales, though its domestic sales started better than ‘Masters of the Universe’ and weaker than ‘Mortal Kombat II’.

Based on those comparisons, the account projected a domestic debut in the $30 million to $37 million range, framing the film as Paramount’s last hope to ignite its box office this year.

That forecast is notably more optimistic than another early read. Tracker TheFlatLannister reported on the BoxOfficeTheory forums that first-day presales were very good in one sample but only okayish in another, suggesting an opening somewhere in the $20 million range.

PERFECT! Watch the New Trailer for Street Fighter, hitting theaters everywhere October 16. pic.twitter.com/jAAPf1k9jf

— Street Fighter Movie (@Street_Fighter) September 1, 2026

The ‘Masters of the Universe’ benchmark isn’t a comforting one. Cosmic Book News noted that the He-Man film became one of the year’s biggest bombs, crashing in its second weekend with no sequel in sight.

‘Mortal Kombat II’ offers a cautionary tale of its own. Collider reported that the sequel likely needed at least $150 million worldwide to break even, and Fortress of Solitude pointed out that its opening split heavily toward North America, with just $23 million coming from international markets.

Audience tracking has added to the uncertainty. Cosmic Book News highlighted that ‘Street Fighter’ sat at 39% awareness and 39% interest on The Quorum about 6 and a half weeks out, nearly matching where ‘Masters of the Universe’ stood before its disappointing debut.

The new ‘STREET FIGHTER’ trailer is now available as a game where fans are challenged to perform game moves from the trailer’s fight scenes.

🔗: https://t.co/Cp8e0bSaDq pic.twitter.com/AeXhG8Ku4H

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 2, 2026

By comparison, ‘Mortal Kombat II’ led genre titles on every chart during its campaign, reaching 50% awareness and 52% interest in mid-April. The outlet argued that ‘Street Fighter’ would need its marketing to reach far more people to avoid a similar fate.

The “last hope” framing may be a bit dramatic. Paramount already scored a hit this summer with ‘Scary Movie’, which reached No. 1 in several international markets in early June.

Still, ‘Street Fighter’ is one of the studio’s biggest remaining swings of the year, and its budget-conscious rivals have shown how quickly fighting game films can fade after opening weekend. The film’s colorful, over-the-top tone could work in its favor, as some fans have argued that audiences seem to prefer campier takes on the genre.

The new Street Fighter trailer is FULL of references from the games! #CinemaCon2026 pic.twitter.com/pfQAn6YU2N

— IGN (@IGN) April 19, 2026

With about 3 weeks until release, there’s still time for presales to pick up. Reviews, social reactions, and word of mouth could all push the film toward the higher end of projections, or leave it closer to the $20 million range some trackers expect.

Either way, opening weekend will reveal whether ‘Street Fighter’ can land the knockout Paramount needs or become the latest casualty in a tough year for video game adaptations.

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