Street Fighter returns to the big screen with a new cinematic franchise, the third live-action adaptation of the series. The film stars Andrew Koji as Ryu and Noah Centineo as Ken Masters, alongside an all-star cast that includes Jason Momoa and 50 Cent.
But beyond the martial arts, adventure, and iconic characters, another element is breathing new life into a franchise that has spent nearly four decades shaping the world of video games and pop culture: music.
The official soundtrack for Street Fighter (2026) was composed by Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson, Emmy Award winners known for their work together on Cobra Kai, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.
In an interview with Diario de Yucatán, the composers discussed the challenges of transforming a video game’s musical style into a cinematic experience while honoring the legacy of previous installments and delivering the sound that fans appreciate and expect.
Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson bring Street Fighter’s musical legacy to the big screen
Street Fighter has been part of video game culture for nearly four decades, ever since its release in 1987. It has built a loyal fan base in both Japan and Mexico.
For the generation that grew up in the 1990s, arcade machines—known as maquinitas in Mexico—were their first introduction to the saga, which is now returning to the big screen with music by Robinson and Birenberg.
What was your reaction when you were told you would be working on the soundtrack?
“We couldn’t believe it had happened, because for us, this was one of those projects we would call our ‘white whale,’” said Birenberg, an American composer and orchestrator.
“We genuinely felt that we had something to contribute to the Street Fighter universe, and we couldn’t believe we were being given this opportunity.”
Robinson pointed out that, like fans of the franchise in Mexico and around the world, “we also grew up with these soundtracks. They bring back a lot of nostalgia and mean a great deal to us.”
“So, for us, it was more than an honor to contribute music to Street Fighter.”
Street Fighter dates back to the 1980s, the film is set in the 1990s, and audiences will watch it in 2026. How did you approach this mix of styles, instruments, and the essence of the story?
“For us, the main goal wasn’t to approach it with the intention of making it sound specifically like the 1990s. Our goal was similar to what we did with Cobra Kai: we wanted to evoke the nostalgia that the game itself can bring back,” Robinson said.
“It wasn’t about saying, ‘We have to use ’90s sounds to make it explicitly feel like the ’90s.’ Instead, the question was: When you listen to this film’s soundtrack, does it remind you of when you played the video game? Does it bring back the same emotions you felt while playing, now that you’re hearing it in a movie theater with a powerful sound system? Can that feeling you had sitting in your bedroom or in an arcade be transported into the cinema?”
Street Fighter is largely an action film, and music is essential to both video games and action movies. Could you tell us a little about your work composing music for the action sequences?
“Zach and I talk about this a lot,” Leo said. “You have to get the emotional thread of a film right in order to draw the audience in and make everything else work.”
“In Street Fighter, for example, there are a lot of fights, a lot of comedy, and the film moves at a very fast pace overall. It’s a little chaotic. But at its core, the main storyline is about the brotherhood between Ken and Ryu.
In a way, that was the first thing we wrote.”
“I also think these elements serve as anchors that allow the audience to connect with the central story. That’s why you have to approach them as sincerely as possible,” the composer added.
“That way, viewers understand their story and become invested in the characters. Once the audience cares about the characters, the fights become more meaningful, and the jokes can relieve the tension more effectively.”
“You have to treat it with respect and sincerity. To explore the full sonic spectrum—and to bring the sound palette of a video game into a film—the first and most important thing is to score the emotions. That’s what gives us the room to do all the crazy things we want to do.”
The challenge becomes even greater when a story moves from a console screen to a movie theater, Robinson explained.
“In video games, you’re used to the music repeating in a loop over and over again […], but you can’t do that in a movie. So our goal was to figure out how to take those emotional moments Leo was talking about, along with the action sequences you mentioned, and make them fit seamlessly with everything happening in the film, even if they might seem like they could work in a loop.”
“The music has to flow; it has to ride the wave of the cinematic story. So, if you listen to the soundtrack, you’ll notice that some pieces could fit into a video game, while others have a distinctly cinematic quality. They undoubtedly sound like film music.”
You also have to balance the franchise’s musical legacy, from the first game to the most recent installment. How did you approach that in the film?
“We’ve realized that when it comes to thematic integration, sometimes less is more,” Leo Birenberg explained enthusiastically.
“The idea is to use the original themes precisely at the moments when they’ll have the greatest impact, rather than including them everywhere just because we can.
We want them to feel like an event, like a climactic moment for the audience, so viewers think, ‘There it is! Ryu’s theme is finally playing! That’s exactly what I wanted!’
People might not even be able to explain why it excites them so much—depending on how familiar they are with the original material—but the effect is still there.
So, for this film, we didn’t want to include the themes of every character from the game. I don’t think that would have worked well as a cinematic soundtrack, because it would have become somewhat repetitive.
Instead, we identified key moments for the characters and used their themes at those precise points. It’s like adding saffron to a dish: you don’t want to overdo it.”
Soundtrack de Street Fighter (2026)
“Round 1… Fight!”: Street Fighter hits theaters in México
The new live-action Street Fighter film, directed by Kitao Sakurai, arrived in Mexican theaters on October 15. It enjoyed a successful opening weekend at the worldwide box office, taking in $51.1 million.
For composers Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson, the most important thing now is for fans to enjoy a film that, they say, everyone involved loved making.
“First and foremost, I want everyone to have a good time. It’s pure entertainment. The idea is to go to the movies, have fun, grab some candy, and, you know, cheer for your favorite characters. Ultimately, I think the main thing is simply for the audience to enjoy themselves,” Leo Birenberg said.
“I hope audiences recognize that everyone who worked on the film has a great appreciation for the video games. Just as Leo and I have discussed our goals for the soundtrack, all the department heads shared that same vision. For example, the costume team made sure to stay true to the original outfits. The cinematography has its own style, evoking the neon-bright colors so characteristic of the 1990s. In short, the entire team understood exactly what was needed. Kita, as the director, was fantastic and captured the franchise’s essence and tone perfectly. So, yes, I hope audiences recognize all of that,” Zach Robinson said.
The message for fans in Mexico was the same: “Go see the movie and enjoy it.” The composers also revealed that they would love to visit the country in the future and perform a live music show in Mexico City, or even in Yucatán.
“We’d love to go to Mexico and play some of our music. And I think people would get really excited about it. So, to the fans: if you want this to happen, spread the word and post about it on social media!” Leo said, while Zach added: We’d absolutely love to go to Yucatán. We were talking about Mexico City, but going to Yucatán would be amazing.”
You can watch the full interview with Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson on our YouTube channel:
About Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson:
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