Although at the time, the Mortal Kombat movie was ridiculed for its goofy story, acting, and visual effects, the film has taken on a cult status since. So much so that several filmmakers have attempted to make a proper Mortal Kombat movie with modern technology and cinematic techniques, but none had successfully got their projects off the ground...until now.

The Mortal Kombat movie is finally a go and will start filming in South Australia in the Adelaide Studios Sound Stage, and once it is complete the film will release in theaters on March 5, 2021. Mortal Kombat fans have been waiting years (even a decade or more) to see what a film version could offer in today's time, and now they only have to wait two more years

As this point, we don’t know what to expect from the Mortal Kombat movie, but a leaked character list suggested that all of the major players like Liu Kang, Sub Zero, Shang Tsung, and Sonya Blade will make an appearance. The film could feature the iconic tournament or use a different approach to tell its story, but the more the Mortal Kombat film deviates from the source material, the more red flags will rise for fans.

While the Mortal Kombat games have retained a serious tone, they have also dabbled in plot developments that are wholly absurd. For example, Mortal Kombat 11 used time travel in order to rewrite the stories of some major MK characters while also introducing younger versions of fighters like Johnny Cage to their older selves.

Whether or not the Mortal Kombat movie might take a similar approach is unclear but with Aquaman and Fast and Furious 7 director James Wan producing, there is potential for anything. Wan seemingly knows how to hit those notes that can be violent but still playful, which is something Mortal Kombat developer NetherRealm has embraced with its games over the last few entries. Just look at some of the Mortal Kombat 11 fatalities.

However, Wan won’t be behind the camera for the Mortal Kombat film – that task falls to newcomer Simon McQuoid. It might seem strange to give the reins of the Mortal Kombat movie to a first time director, but that could be just what the franchise needs. McQuoid has shown a stylish flair in his commercial work and if anything about the Mortal Kombat movie needs to be perfect, it’s the style.

The Mortal Kombat movie releases March 5, 2021 in theaters.