Fans patiently awaiting the upcoming Mortal Kombat film get to see two new faces added to the roster. The production has officially cast its Shang Tsung and Scorpion.
The new Mortal Kombat movie will take another shot at bringing the popular fighting game to the big screen. The film, due out in 2021, hasn't begun shooting yet, but as production ramps up, new actors get revealed every week. As the roster continues to fill out, it seems everyone's favorite characters will all get a shot at appearing in the upcoming film.
Now, New Line has revealed two new actors for the Mortal Kombat movie. Chin Han will play Shang Tsung and Hiroyuki Sanada will play Scorpion. Both actors have extensive resumes, which makes sense. Shang Tsung and Scorpion both feature heavily in Mortal Kombat's lore, so the production should bring on some big talent to portray the characters on the big screen. Chin Han's credit include The Dark Knight, Arrow, and more recently the TV series Marco Polo. As for Hiroyuki Sanada, the actor has a lengthy history including appearances in Avengers: Endgame, Westworld, and The Last Samurai.
With these new faces added to the roster, many of the classic Mortal Kombat characters have been cast. The casting announcements began back in July when the production cast Joe Taslim as Sub-Zero. He has starred in The Raid and Star Trek Beyond.
A few weeks later, the deluge began in full. Casting announcements came for Mortal Kombat characters Raiden, Mileena, and more. Tadanobu Asano will play Raiden, Ludi Lin will play Liu Kang, Mehcad Brooks will play Jax, and Sisi Stringer will play Mileena. All of these actors have notoriety for both their acting chops and their proficiency at choreographed fighting.
Most recently, Mortal Kombat cast Sonya Blade and Kano. Jessica MacNamee will play Sonya and Josh Lawson will play Kano. The two have a rivalry in the game and seeing their names announced together implies that the rivals might continue into the film.
Aquaman and Furious 7 director James Wan will produce the project, and that should excited Mortal Kombat fans. Wan has a history of churning out hits in ongoing big budget action franchises. He seems like a perfect fit for the Mortal Kombat movie, someone who can bring the fighting game to film while respecting its gaming roots.
The new Mortal Kombat film seems to be on a good path. The cast has a varied and diverse background and the team behind the camera have made some great hit action films before. Unfortunately, fans still have a bit of a wait before they can see the film. It currently has a scheduled release of March 5, 2021.
Source: Variety