Variety is reporting that Kristin Kreuk, Smallville's Lana Lane, will star as martial artist Chun-Li in the live action Street Fighter movie that is set to start shooting next month.  Michael Clarke Duncan will portray Balrog, Chris Klein will take on the role of Nash, and Rick Yune will play the mystical Gen.  Andrzej Bartkowiak (Romeo Must Die) is directing the film (see 'Street Fighter Gets Director'), which is based on the popular Capcom fighting game.  Justin Marks, who scripted the live action Voltron film, wrote the screenplay and Hong Kong fight choreographer Dion Lam (The Matrix) will be staging the film's many fight scenes.

There should be plenty of merchandise for retailers who wish to take advantage of the new Street Fighter film, which will focus on the character of Chun-Li (the first big screen version was released in 1994 and starred Jean-Claude Van Damme).  Sota Toys has Street Fighter action figures, while Udon continues to publish an extensive line of Street Fighter comics and manga, and the property is a key part of Sabertooth Games' family of UFS CCGs -- and of course this livewire property should also get a major boost this summer from the release of Capcom's Street Fighter IV, the latest version of the game that started it all.