The 1995 Mortal Kombat movie is the first example of a perfectly acceptable film adaptation of a video game. Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, who would go on to do the Resident Evil films, it captures the fun action of the game while bringing to life many fan-favorite characters like Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, and Raiden.
After a disastrous sequel, the franchise did not receive a third big-screen appearance. Now, twenty-five years later, a 2021 reboot is being prepped for release. With filming having already been completed, more details have seeped out to the public, giving fans an idea of what to expect from the upcoming movie.
10 Produced By James Wan
James Wan first rose to prominence directing the debut entry in the Saw film franchise. After some other horror and small-scale thrillers, he moved on to bid budget blockbusters like Furious 7 and Aquaman. While not the in the director's chair, James Wan seems to be heavily involved with the production. Given his experience in the industry, it gives one hope the movie will turn out okay.
9 Joe Taslim As Sub-Zero
In Sub-Zero's shoes for the upcoming adaptation is Joe Taslim. Taslim will be familiar to those who have seen The Raid, where he plays Sergeant Jaka, one of the cops stuck inside the massive building filled with criminals. More recently he starred in The Night Comes for Us, an ultra violent action-packed thriller about a criminal running for his life from killers after deciding to spare a small girl's life. Anyone who has seen these movies understands the man's breathtaking talent, making fans excited to see what fight scenes in the new movie will look like.
8 Director Simon McQuoid
Simon McQuoid sits in the director's chair. This is also the filmmaker's first full-length feature, though it should not give one cause to worry. He has already cut his teeth directing tons of commercials, including some for PlayStation and Call of Duty. Will the ability to make audiences interested in a product translate to pleasing viewers during a feature film? We'll only find out once the film finally hits theaters.
7 Composer Benjamin Wallfisch
While many among the crew are first timers, composer Benjamin Wallfisch is a seasoned pro. His credits stretch all the way back to 2005 with Dear Wendy. More recently, he worked with Hans Zimmer on the Blade Runner 2049 Soundtrack and composed both It films.
With these credits under his belt, fans should have no doubt in his ability to liven up a movie with a score. One wonders if the trademark theme will make its way into the film.
6 Filmed In South Australia
The original 1995 Mortal Kombat adaptation was filmed in Los Angeles and Thailand. The new film's production is also going across the world to bring the fighting game to life. Instead of Thailand, much of the movie was filmed in South Australia. Producer James Wan spoke positively of the country, since he has previous experience filming there for Aquaman. While a great place for a vacation, it also seems like a great place to make movies.
5 Ludi Lin Liu Kang
Robin Shou was nearly perfect as Liu Kang in the 1995 movie. Given his central role in the plot, whoever is stepping up to the plate this time around has some big shoes to fill. Ludi Lin has already played roles in big budget blockbusters, mainly as Zack, the Black Ranger, in Power Rangers. He was also in Aquaman. The actor has also extensively studied martial arts, so he will have no trouble with the action scenes.
4 A Lot Of Relative Unknowns In The Cast
While casting superstars in roles can be exciting, seeing a bunch of relative newcomers in the role is its own form of excitement.
A lot of the actors in notable roles have either cut their teeth up until this point on television, or else they've played much smaller parts in feature films. Perhaps some of these faces will be big stars in several years, and we'll look back on the Mortal Kombat film admiring these actors before they were truly big names.
3 Release Date
Currently the film is scheduled for a January 15th, 2021 release date. This should be taken with a grain of salt, however. As of this article's publication, no trailer has been released, which seems odd for a movie just two months away. It is not wholly unheard of, but one would expect at least a trailer by now. Given the state of the world during the COVID pandemic, it would not be surprising to see the film delayed several months.
2 Mortal Kombat Devastation
Despite how poor Mortal Kombat: Annihilation was received, a sequel was in the planning staged for years. Linden Ashby, the actor who played Johnny Cage, even talked about it publicly. Reportedly, sets were even built in New Orleans, but Hurricane Katrina destroyed the sets, dooming the movie. It was set to be called Mortal Kombat: Devastation, though details regarding the actual plot are scarce.
1 Rated R
The games are famous for their increasingly ridiculous violence. The movies were all rated PG-13, eliminating the chance to see this blood and guts on the big screen. The new film is already promising to be rated R, however, and the producers have already said Fatalities will make an appearance. While not every Mortal Kombat fan is an unrelenting gore hound, one cannot help but be impressed by the imaginative ways characters kill each other.