Mortal Kombat is a 2021 American martial arts fantasy film co-produced and directed by Simon McQuoid from a screenplay by Greg Russo and Dave Callaham, based on the video game series created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. The film serves as a reboot of the Mortal Kombat film series and is the third film in the franchise.[4] It stars Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Tadanobu Asano, Mehcad Brooks, Ludi Lin, Chin Han, Max Huang, Joe Taslim, and Hiroyuki Sanada.[5] The film follows Cole Young, a washed-up mixed martial arts fighter who is unaware of his hidden lineage or why the assassin Sub-Zero is hunting him down. Concerned for the safety of his family, he seeks out a clique of fighters that were chosen to defend Earthrealm against Outworld.
Mortal Kombat | |
---|---|
![]() Release poster | |
Directed by | Simon McQuoid |
Screenplay by | |
Story by |
|
Based on | |
Produced by |
|
Starring | |
Cinematography | Germain McMicking |
Edited by |
|
Music by | Benjamin Wallfisch |
Production companies |
|
Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 110 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $55 million[1] |
Box office | $84.4 million[2][3] |
Following the critical and commercial failure of Mortal Kombat Annihilation (1997), a third Mortal Kombat film languished in development hell for a period of nearly two decades. In late 2010, Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema began developing a new film, with Kevin Tancharoen serving as director from a script written by Oren Uziel in the wake of their short film Mortal Kombat: Rebirth (2010). James Wan was announced as a producer in August 2015 and McQuoid was hired as director in November 2016. Production took place at Adelaide Studios in Adelaide and at other locations in South Australia.[6] Principal photography occurred from September to December 2019.
Mortal Kombat was released internationally on April 8, 2021, and in the United States on April 23, simultaneously in theaters in Dolby Cinema, IMAX, and 4DX formats and on the streaming service HBO Max. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the performances, production values, action sequences, and greater faithfulness to the source material than the previous films, but criticized its screenplay, dialogue, and exposition.[7] The film grossed over $84 million against a $55 million production budget and became HBO Max's most-successful film launch to date.
A sequel, Mortal Kombat 2, is scheduled to be released in October 24, 2025,[8] with Jeremy Slater set to write the screenplay and McQuoid returning as director.[9][10]
Plot
editIn 17th-century Japan, assassins led by Bi-Han kill a rival clan led by Hanzo Hasashi, including Hanzo's family. After killing the attackers, Hanzo fights Bi-Han, who stabs him with his own kunai. Hanzo dies, and his soul is condemned to the Netherrealm. Raiden, God of Thunder, later takes Hanzo's surviving infant daughter to safety.
In 2021, the realm of Outworld has defeated Earthrealm in nine tournaments known as "Mortal Kombat". If Earthrealm loses a tenth one, the rules state it will be conquered by Outworld. However, an ancient prophecy states that the "blood of Hanzo Hasashi" will unite a new generation of Earthrealm's champions to prevent Outworld's victory. Aware of this, sorcerer Shang Tsung, who has overseen the last nine victories, sends his warriors to kill Earthrealm's champions, identified by a dragon mark, before the next tournament begins. One such champion, MMA fighter Cole Young, is attacked alongside his family by Bi-Han, who now calls himself Sub-Zero. However, Special Forces Major Jackson "Jax" Briggs rescues the Youngs, directing them to find his partner, Sonya Blade, with whom he has been investigating Mortal Kombat's existence. Jax stays to battle Sub-Zero but loses his arms in the process.
Cole goes to Sonya's hideout, where she is interrogating a captive Australian mercenary named Kano. She reveals that the dragon mark can be transferred to anyone who kills the original bearer. They are attacked by Shang Tsung's assassin, Syzoth, who Kano kills with Cole and Sonya's help. They travel to Raiden's temple and meet Earthrealm champions Liu Kang and Kung Lao and Raiden himself, who is critical of the newcomers. They also find Jax, whom Raiden rescued and fitted with a set of mechanical arms. Shang Tsung attempts to attack the temple but is stopped when Raiden shields it from intrusion. Cole and Kano train with Liu Kang and Kung Lao to unlock their "Arcana", a power unique to all dragon mark bearers.
During an argument, Kano awakens his arcana, which is the ability to shoot lasers from his right eye. Meanwhile, Cole is unable to awaken his arcana. Disappointed, Raiden sends Cole back to his family, revealing that he is a descendant of Hasashi. Shang Tsung gathers his warriors, including Kano's former ally, Kabal, to attack the temple. Kabal convinces Kano to defect and sabotage the shield. During the fray, Jax awakens his arcana, granting him superhuman strength and upgraded arms. Concurrently, the Youngs are attacked by Goro. Cole rouses his arcana, gaining a suit of armor that can absorb kinetic energy from physical attacks and a set of tonfas, and kills Goro before helping repel the attack on the temple. As Raiden teleports the Earthrealm fighters to the Void, a safe space between realms, Sub-Zero attempts to stop Cole. However, Kung Lao saves Cole from Sub-Zero and has his soul taken by Shang Tsung.
Cole proposes a plan to force Outworld's champions into single combat with them before neutralizing Sub-Zero together. Agreeing with the plan, Raiden gives Cole Hanzo's kunai, which still has Hanzo's blood on it. Raiden transports Cole and his allies to their targets. While defeating Outworld's champions, Sonya kills Kano and acquires his dragon mark, gaining the ability to fire energy blasts from her arms as her arcana in the process. Sub-Zero abducts Cole's family to lure him into a one-on-one fight. Overpowered, Cole uses the kunai and drains the blood from it, releasing Hanzo as the vengeful specter, Scorpion. Recognizing Cole as his descendant, Scorpion helps him kill Sub-Zero and free his family. Thanking Cole for freeing him and requesting that he take care of the Hasashi bloodline, Scorpion departs as Raiden, the other champions, and Shang Tsung arrive.
Shang Tsung threatens to bring armies instead of individual fighters next time they meet. Raiden banishes him, declaring his intention to train new warriors for the next tournament and assigning his current champions to recruit them. Cole then departs to Los Angeles to look for martial arts movie star Johnny Cage.[11]
Cast
edit- Lewis Tan as Cole Young[12]
- Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade
- Josh Lawson as Kano
- Mehcad Brooks as Jax
- Ludi Lin as Liu Kang
- Max Huang as Kung Lao
- Tadanobu Asano as Raiden
- Chin Han as Shang Tsung
- Joe Taslim as Bi-Han / Sub-Zero[13]
- Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi / Scorpion
- Matilda Kimber as Emily Young[14][15]
- Laura Brent as Allison Young[15]
- Sisi Stringer as Mileena[16]
- Mel Jarnson as Nitara
- Nathan Jones as Reiko
- Daniel Nelson as Kabal[17]
- Damon Herriman as Kabal (voice)
- Angus Sampson as Goro (voice)
Production
editDevelopment
editIn 1997, Robin Shou's original Mortal Kombat contract was a three-picture deal,[18] and Threshold Entertainment's production on a second sequel was initially scheduled to commence shortly after the release of Annihilation, but it was shelved due to Annihilation's poor reception and disappointing box-office performance. Attempts to produce a third film since then were stuck in development hell with numerous script rewrites and storyline, cast, and crew changes. A November 2001 poll on the official Mortal Kombat website hosted by Threshold asked fans which characters they believed would die in the third movie.[19] The 2005 destruction of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina greatly affected one of the film's planned shooting locations.[20] In June 2009, a bankruptcy court lawsuit saw Lawrence Kasanoff suing Midway Games while mentioning that a third film was in the works. Warner Bros. Pictures (which became the parent of New Line Cinema in 2008, after over a decade of both operating as separate divisions of Time Warner) ended up purchasing most of Midway's assets, including Mortal Kombat.[21]
In 2010, director Kevin Tancharoen released an eight-minute short film titled Mortal Kombat: Rebirth,[22] made as a pitch to Warner Bros. Pictures of a reboot of the Mortal Kombat film franchise.[23] In September 2011, New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. announced that Tancharoen was hired to direct a new feature-length film from a screenplay by Mortal Kombat: Rebirth writer Oren Uziel,[24] with the intention of aiming for an R rating.[25] Shooting was expected to begin in March 2012 with a budget projected at between $40–50 million[26] and a release date of 2013.[27][28] However, the project was ultimately delayed due to budget constraints, and Tancharoen began working on the second season of the web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy until problems with the film had been sorted out, but he quit the film production in October 2013.[29]
James Wan signed on as the film's producer in August 2015.[30] Simon McQuoid was hired as director in November 2016, marking his feature directorial debut, with Greg Russo writing the script.[31][32] McQuoid had turned down the offer initially, but ultimately signed on after reading Russo's script.[33] Russo tweeted in February 2019 that the film's script was complete.[32] In May 2019, it was announced that the film had entered pre-production and would be shot in South Australia,[34] with a release date of March 5, 2021.[35] Russo tweeted in July 2019 that the film would indeed have an R rating and that the games' Fatalities would "finally be on the big screen".[36]
In April 2021, McQuoid revealed that the film came "quite close to the line" of getting an NC-17 rating by the Motion Picture Association, saying in full, "What we had to be a bit careful of was... you can get to NC-17 territory pretty quick. It's different in a video game when it's not real human beings. When you move this across to reality, a different set of things start to happen in your mind, and you get rated slightly differently. So there were certain things that are in the game that would mean the film would be unreleasable. And none of us wanted that. … So we were balancing that stuff all the time. And there's some stuff that you will see that really gets quite close to the line because we didn't want people to go, 'Meh. Seemed kind of lame.'"[37] Ultimately, after some edits, the film received its intended R rating.
Casting
editJoe Taslim was the first actor cast for the production in July 2019, as Sub-Zero.[38][39] In August, Mehcad Brooks, Tadanobu Asano, Sisi Stringer, and Ludi Lin were cast in the roles of Jax Briggs, Raiden, Mileena, and Liu Kang respectively.[40] Later that month, Josh Lawson, Jessica McNamee, Chin Han and Hiroyuki Sanada were cast as Kano, Sonya Blade, Shang Tsung and Scorpion respectively, with Lewis Tan in the role of Cole Young, an original character created for the film.[41][42] On September 16, 2019, it was announced that Max Huang had been cast as Kung Lao.[16] Stuntwoman Elissa Cadwell was announced as having been cast as Nitara on November 11, 2019,[43] but she was later replaced by Mel Jarnson. Matilda Kimber was cast as Emily on December 4, 2019.[44]
Filming
editProduction took place at Adelaide Studios and other locations in South Australia,[45] lasting from September 16 to December 13, 2019.[46] In November 2020, Todd Garner stated that "we have more days to shoot" in a statement regarding the film's release delay.[47] The film was shot on the ARRI ALEXA LF and Mini LF cameras with Panavision Anamorphic lenses.[48]
Visual effects
editRising Sun Pictures (RSP), an Adelaide company, was principal VFX provider, delivering over 600 visual effects shots for the film. The studio's artists also created the effects for the last scene, a furious fight lasting around 10 minutes.[49] RSP won an AEAF Special Merit Award in 2021 for their work on the film.[50]
Music
editThe score for Mortal Kombat was composed by Benjamin Wallfisch.[51] In March 2021, director Simon McQuoid revealed that Wallfisch actually began compositions for the film before he was officially hired on the project and that the film will include a new version of the track "Techno Syndrome" by The Immortals,[52] produced by Wallfisch.
Release
editMarketing
editOn January 15, 2021, which was when the film was initially set to release prior to being delayed due the COVID-19 pandemic, Entertainment Weekly released a first look of the film, which contained several behind the scenes photos.[53] On February 17, 2021, a series of character posters were released for the film, along with the next announcement that the film's first trailer would be released the following day.[54] On February 18, 2021, the first red band trailer for the film was released online.[55][56] The film's first trailer had become the most-watched red-band trailer until the release of the first trailer of The Suicide Squad a month later.[57][58]
Theatrical and streaming
editMortal Kombat was theatrically released internationally, beginning on April 8, 2021,[59] and was later released in the United States on April 23, 2021, in both theaters in Dolby Cinema, IMAX and 4DX and on HBO Max.[60] The film was originally going to be released on March 5, 2021, before being moved up to January 15, 2021.[61] In November 2020, producer Todd Garner confirmed that the film would be delayed until theaters are reopened due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[47] before it was finally dated for release on April 16 in 3D.[62] As part of its plans for all of its 2021 films, Warner Bros. also streamed the film simultaneously on the HBO Max service for one month, after which the film was removed until the normal home media release schedule period.[63] In Australia and New Zealand, the film was released onto Netflix in January 2022 despite its HBO Max release elsewhere due to the service's HBO Max lack of availability outside of North America.[64]
In late March 2021, the film was delayed one week to April 23.[60][65] The film was released in Japan on June 18, 2021, despite not having Mortal Kombat games released officially in the country due to CERO gaming rules concerning excessive gore.[66]
Home media
editMortal Kombat was released on Digital HD on June 11, 2021, and on DVD, Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on July 13, 2021.[67]
Reception
editAudience viewership
editFollowing its U.S. release, Samba TV reported that 3.8 million households watched at least the first five minutes over its first three days.[68] It was watched in 4.3 million households during its first week[69] and 5.5 million households over the first 17 days, a record for an HBO Max title.[70] By the end of its first month, the film had been streamed in over 5.6 million U.S. households.[71] In January 2022, tech firm Akami reported that Mortal Kombat was the fifth most pirated film of 2021.[72]
Box office
editMortal Kombat grossed $42.3 million in the United States and Canada, and $42.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $84.4 million.[3][2]
Release alongside Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train on April 23, 2021. Mortal Kombat was originally projected to gross $10–12 million in its domestic opening weekend, the film made $9 million from 3,073 theaters on its first day of release, increasing estimates to $19 million.[1] It went on to debut to $23.3 million, topping the box office.[73][74] In its second weekend the film dropped 73% to $6.2 million, finishing second behind Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train ($6.4 million),[75] and $2.4 million in its third weekend.[76]
In its opening international weekend, the film made $10.7 million from 17 countries, with the largest market being Russia ($6.1 million).[77] In its second weekend the film made $5.7 million from 28 countries.[78]
Critical response
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 55% of 298 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "Largely for fans of the source material but far from fatal(ity) flawed, Mortal Kombat revives the franchise in appropriately violent fashion."[79] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 44 out of 100, based on 43 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[80] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[73]
Alonso Duralde of the TheWrap wrote: "Viewers interested in martial-arts action are bound to find the combat-with-a-C to be lackluster in that way that hand-to-hand fighting tends to be when it gets drowned out by digital effects. More likely to have fun with this latest Mortal Kombat are Sam Raimi enthusiasts who can appreciate the comedy in over-the-top geysers of fake blood, which the film unleashes with increasing regularity as the fights get more serious."[81] The Hollywood Reporter's John DeFore said the film was "not exactly a knockout" and wrote: "A B-movie that would benefit immensely from some wit in the script and charisma in the cast, it's not as aggressively hacky as P.W.S.A.'s oeuvre, but it runs into problems he didn't face in 1995: Namely, the bar has been raised quite a bit for movies in which teams of superpowered young people have fights to save the universe."[82]
Korey Coleman and Martin Thomas of Double Toasted commented that the cast lacked any relatability and furthermore found the character of Cole Young to be a weak and uninteresting protagonist.[83] James Marsh, of the South China Morning Post, gave a positive review, saying, "Director Simon McQuoid understands and honours the film's video game origins, including memorable lines of dialogue and signature fight moves throughout".[84]
Ben Kenigsberg of The New York Times wrote, "The latest screen adaptation of the video game still shows that trying to construct a coherent plot around these characters is a fatal trap".[85] Brian Lowry of CNN gave Mortal Kombat a negative review, writing: "For those on the fence, though, 'Mortal Kombat' is hardly worth starting, much less finishing".[86] Matt Goldberg of Collider wrote, "Simon McQuoid's new adaptation is a mostly joyless slog that can't even deliver exhilarating fights".[87] Benjamin Lee at The Guardian rated the film 2/5, stating "A silly and dated new attempt to transport the classic fighting game to the big screen is a late-night drunk watch at best".[88]
Sequel
editJoe Taslim, who played Sub-Zero in the film, revealed that he signed on for four sequels pending the success of the reboot.[89] Co-writer Greg Russo told Collider that he saw the reboot as the start of a trilogy with the second film set during the Mortal Kombat tournament and the third film set post-tournament.[90] On September 14, 2021, Variety reported that Warner Bros. was seeking to develop additional works for its Mortal Kombat universe.[91]
On January 26, 2022, Warner Bros. officially greenlit the sequel, with McQuoid returning as director and Jeremy Slater writing the screenplay.[9][92] In an interview after the first film's release, McQuoid said that the character of Johnny Cage was not included in the film because the character was a "giant personality" that would throw the film out of balance.[93] While Slater told ComicBook.com that Cage would appear in the sequel, he added that his role therein was currently unknown.[94] Professional wrestler Mike "The Miz" Mizanin openly expressed interest in the part of Cage while receiving support of Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon,[95] but according to Garner, Karl Urban was in final talks for the role.[96] In May 2023, Tati Gabrielle and Adeline Rudolph were cast as Jade and Kitana respectively.[97][98] In June 2023, it was announced that Martyn Ford, Ana Thu Nguyen, Damon Herriman (not returning as the voice of Kabal) and Desmond Chiam were cast as Shao Kahn, Sindel, Quan Chi and King Jerrod.[99] It was also announced in June that the cast from the first film such as Lewis Tan, Ludi Lin, Tadanobu Asano, Jessica McNamee, Chin Han and Hiroyuki Sanada would be returning to reprise their roles in the sequel.[100]
On April 17, 2023, Garner confirmed that filming would run from June to September in Queensland, Australia,[citation needed] while That Hashtag Show reported that Shao Kahn, Baraka, Kitana, Quan Chi, and Sindel were slated to appear.[101][102]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Lang, Brett (April 24, 2021). "'Mortal Kombat,' 'Demon Slayer' Locked in Fierce Box Office Battle". Variety. Archived from the original on April 24, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
- ^ a b "Mortal Kombat (2021)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
- ^ a b "Mortal Kombat (2021)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
- ^ "'Mortal Kombat' Summary & Ending, Explained - Fails To Compete With Its Animated Version | DMT". Digital Mafia Talkies. April 26, 2021. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ^ "Mortal Kombat (Reboot) – WGA Directory". findawriter.wgaeast.org. Archived from the original on April 11, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- ^ "'Finish him: Mortal Kombat post-production work to be centred in Adelaide'". The Lead South Australia. January 24, 2020. Archived from the original on July 24, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
- ^ "Mortal Kombat (2021) Review Roundup: What Do The Critics Think?". GameSpot. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
- ^ Kit, Borys (May 25, 2023). "Adeline Rudolph to Play Kitana in New Line's 'Mortal Kombat 2' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
Adeline Rudolph, who made her debut as part of Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, has joined Tati Gabrielle, her co-star on the Netflix series, in New Line's spine-severing sequel to 2021's Mortal Kombat. Simon McQuoid, who directed the previous movie based on the video game franchise, is back behind the console for the new feature, which sees Karl Urban leading the ensemble and diverse cast.
- ^ a b Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 26, 2022). "New Line Moving Forward With 'Mortal Kombat' Sequel; 'Moon Knight' Scribe Jeremy Slater Scripting". Deadline. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (July 20, 2022). "'Mortal Kombat' Sequel Moving Forward At New Line As Simon McQuoid Returns As Director". Deadline. Archived from the original on July 20, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
- ^ "Mortal Kombat ending explained: 2021 movie's sequel teases, cameos". Archived from the original on May 2, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
- ^ Romano, Nick (January 15, 2021). "Mortal Kombat first look: Inside the R-rated reboot, fatalities and all". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
- ^ Russo, Greg [@WriterRusso] (July 9, 2019). "Bi Han" (Tweet). Retrieved December 17, 2019 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Young Matilda Kimber Added to the Cast of the Mortal Kombat Movie". Cog Connected. December 6, 2019. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
- ^ a b "Mortal Kombat (2021)". Warner Bros. Pictures. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
- ^ a b Perry, Spencer (September 16, 2019). "Production Begins on New Mortal Kombat Movie". ComingSoon.Net. Archived from the original on January 30, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
- ^ Fischer, Tyler (December 17, 2020). "Mortal Kombat Movie Confirms Kabal Actor". Comic Book. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- ^ "Mortal Kombat Annihilation!". GamePro. No. 104. IDG. May 1997. p. 37.
- ^ "Mortal Kombat". Threshold Entertainment. November 28, 2001. Archived from the original on November 28, 2001. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
- ^ Morris, Clint (February 8, 2008). "Director talks Mortal Kombat reboot". Moviehole. Archived from the original on August 8, 2012. Retrieved February 8, 2008.
- ^ "WB Picks Up Rights to Midway Video Games". Comingsoon.net. July 6, 2009. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
- ^ Fahey, Mike (June 8, 2010). "If This Is The Next Mortal Kombat, Sign Us Up (Update)". Kotaku. Archived from the original on June 11, 2010. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
- ^ Ryan, Jeri [@JeriLRyan] (June 8, 2010). "It's not a game trailer. Actually was made for the director to sell WB on his vision for a reimagined MK film" (Tweet). Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2011 – via Twitter.
- ^ Lesnick, Silas (September 29, 2011). "New Line to Reboot Mortal Kombat". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on May 16, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
- ^ Staskiewicz, Keith (September 29, 2011). "New 'Mortal Kombat' movie 'needs to feel brutal,' says director". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 1, 2011. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
- ^ Karmali, Luke (November 11, 2012). "Warner Bros Confirms Mortal Kombat Movie Reboot". IGN. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
- ^ Fritz, Ben (September 30, 2011). "'Glee' director prepares for 'Mortal Kombat' film". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 1, 2011. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
- ^ Fritz, Ben (September 29, 2011). "New 'Mortal Kombat' movie coming via partnership of Warner units". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
- ^ Tancharoen, Kevin [@KTANCH] (October 25, 2013). "After 3 years of Kombat, I've decided to move on to other creative opportunities. I wish everyone involved in the movie big success. Thanks!"" (Tweet). Archived from the original on February 8, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2019 – via Twitter.
- ^ Lesnick, Silas (August 7, 2015). "Mortal Kombat Movie: James Wan to Produce". Coming Soon. Archived from the original on August 9, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (November 18, 2016). "'Mortal Kombat' Reboot Finds Director in Simon McQuoid (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on November 19, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
- ^ a b Russo, Greg [@WriterRusso] (February 3, 2019). "Who's getting excited? I know I am. #MK #MortalKombat" (Tweet). Retrieved March 5, 2019 – via Twitter.
- ^ Couch, Aaron (April 23, 2021). "Why Mortal Kombat Director Simon McQuoid Said No (At First)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
- ^ Collis, Clark (May 14, 2019). "James Wan-produced Mortal Kombat movie to shoot later this year". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 18, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
- ^ McNary, Dave (May 17, 2019). "New 'Mortal Kombat' Movie to Hit Theaters in 2021". Variety. Archived from the original on May 18, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
- ^ Russo, Greg [@WriterRusso] (July 12, 2019). "Since it's already been stated by other members of the team, I'm gonna put this one to bed. MK WILL be R-Rated and for the first time EVER, FATALITIES will FINALLY be on the big screen (and no I'm not gonna say which ones) You'll just have to wait for the movie & see!!!" (Tweet). Retrieved August 18, 2019 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Mortal Kombat 2021 Movie Nearly Got An NC-17 Rating For Violence". ScreenRant. April 1, 2021. Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ McNary, Dave (July 9, 2019). "'The Raid's' Joe Taslim to Star in 'Mortal Kombat' for New Line". Variety. Archived from the original on July 10, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
- ^ Russo, Greg [@WriterRusso] (July 9, 2019). "Bi-Han" (Tweet). Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2019 – via Twitter.
- ^ Kit, Borys; Galuppo, Mia (August 16, 2019). "'Mortal Kombat' Movie Adds Fistful of Fighters (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
- ^ Galuppo, Mia (August 26, 2019). "'Mortal Kombat' Movie Finds Its Sonya Blade, Kano (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 26, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (August 27, 2019). "'Mortal Kombat' Reboot Finds Its Shang Tsung and Scorpion (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on August 27, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
- ^ Fischer, Tyler (November 11, 2019). "Mortal Kombat Reboot Reveals New Character and Casting". Comic Book. Archived from the original on November 11, 2019. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
- ^ "Mysterious New Mortal Kombat Reboot Role Revealed". GAMING. Archived from the original on December 31, 2019. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
- ^ Marc, Christopher (September 15, 2019). "The New 'Mortal Kombat' Movie Has Begun Production". HN Entertainment. Archived from the original on September 16, 2019. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
- ^ Smith, Andrew (December 13, 2019). "Mortal Kombat Movie Wraps Filming: See the Cast's Reactions". IGN. Archived from the original on December 14, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
- ^ a b "Mortal Kombat Elite on Instagram: "Looks like the mk movie is getting pushed back again. I cant say that I'm not surprised considering the current state of things. It should…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ Mendelovich, Yossy (April 6, 2021). "Mortal Kombat BTS Released: Shot on ALEXA LF Paired With Panavision Anamorphic Lenses". Y.M.Cinema - News & Insights on Digital Cinema. Archived from the original on April 6, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- ^ "Mortal Kombat". RSP. August 17, 2021. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ^ "Awards & Nominations" (PDF). Rising Sun Pictures. 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ^ Fischer, Tyler. "Mortal Kombat Reboot Award-Winning Composer Revealed". Comic Book. Archived from the original on January 22, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
- ^ "'Mortal Kombat's Composer Began the Score Before Getting Hired — And Yes, It Includes the Iconic Theme". Collider. March 6, 2021. Archived from the original on March 6, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- ^ "'Mortal Kombat' first look: Inside the R-rated reboot, fatalities and all". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
- ^ "New Mortal Kombat posters reveal first looks at Lord Raiden, Shang Tsung, and more". www.msn.com. Archived from the original on February 17, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
- ^ Countryman, Eli (February 18, 2021). "'Mortal Kombat' trailer promises plenty of blood, guts and fatalities". chicagotribune.com. Archived from the original on February 18, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
- ^ "'Mortal Kombat' Reboot Drops Bloody Brutal Trailer". The Hollywood Reporter. February 18, 2021. Archived from the original on January 5, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 25, 2021). "'Mortal Kombat' Red Band Trailer Breaks Viewership Records". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 3, 2021). "'The Suicide Squad' Red Band Trailer Clocks All-Time Record Traffic In First Week, Beating 'Mortal Kombat'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 3, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
- ^ Rizvi, Husain (April 8, 2021). "'Mortal Kombat' movie review: A fast-paced film with a thinning plot". Khaleej Times. Archived from the original on January 5, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ a b Rubin, Rebecca (March 30, 2021). "'Mortal Kombat' Release Date Pushed Back". Variety. Archived from the original on March 30, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ Haring, Bruce (December 11, 2019). "'Mortal Kombat' Release Date Moved Up To Midwinter 2021 – Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
- ^ Rubin, Rebecca (December 14, 2020). "Warner Bros. Shifts 'Mortal Kombat,' 'Tom and Jerry' Release Dates". Variety. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
- ^ Rubin, Rebecca; Donnelly, Matt (December 3, 2020). "Warner Bros. to Debut Entire 2021 Film Slate, Including 'Dune' and 'Matrix 4,' Both on HBO Max and In Theaters". Variety. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ "Watch Mortal Kombat | Netflix". www.netflix.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
- ^ Jha, Lata (April 8, 2021). "Martial arts film 'Mortal Kombat' to release in India on 23 April". mint. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
- ^ "Mortal Kombat Movie Will Release in Japan This June". April 7, 2021. Archived from the original on April 7, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
- ^ "'Mortal Kombat' Gets 4K Blu-ray and Digital Release Dates". Collider. June 3, 2021. Archived from the original on July 15, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ "'Mortal Kombat Is A KO For HBO Max, Says Samba TV'". Deadline Hollywood. April 26, 2021. Archived from the original on August 16, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 25, 2022). "The Batman First Week Viewership On HBO Max Bigger Than Streamer's Theatrical Day & Date Titles – CinemaCon". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 27, 2021). "'The Suicide Squad' Most Watched DC Film On HBO Max In Samba TV Households, But Trails 'Mortal Kombat'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 27, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 3, 2022). "With Tentpoles Bound To Surge The 2022 Box Office, The Great Theatrical-Streaming Day & Date Experiment Goes Out Like A Dud In 2021". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 3, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ Ortiz, Andi (January 26, 2022). "'Zack Snyder's Justice League,' 'Black Widow' Among 2021's Most Pirated Movies". TheWrap. Archived from the original on February 2, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
- ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 25, 2021). "'Mortal Kombat' Conquers 'Demon Slayer' After Intense Brawl For No. 1 As Moviegoing Rebounds From Pandemic". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 24, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- ^ "Domestic 2021 Weekend 17". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 2, 2021). "'Mortal Kombat' & 'Demon Slayer' Continue To Duke It Out In Second Weekend Of Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 9, 2021). "Jason Statham & Guy Ritchie Reteam 'Wrath Of Man' Leads Weekend With A- CinemaScore, As Exhibition Looks Forward To Summer". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ^ Nancy Tartaglione (April 11, 2021). "'Godzilla Vs Kong' Rises To $358M Worldwide; 'Mortal Kombat' Kicks Off With $11M Overseas – International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
- ^ "Box Office: 'Mortal Kombat' Nears $20M Overseas As 'Nobody' Nears $35M Global". Forbes. April 18, 2021. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ "Mortal Kombat". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
- ^ "Mortal Kombat". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
- ^ Duralde, Alonso (April 22, 2021). "'Mortal Kombat' Film Review: Silly Game Adaptation Is More 'Evil Dead' Than 'Enter the Dragon'". TheWrap. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
- ^ DeFore, John (April 22, 2021). "'Mortal Kombat': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
- ^ "MORTAL KOMBAT REVIEW | THE MITCHELLS VS THE MACHINES REVIEW | AND MORE – DT Power Hours LIVE @ 7:15 PM CST". Double Toasted. April 22, 2021. Archived from the original on April 24, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
- ^ Marsh, James (April 8, 2021). "Mortal Kombat movie review: gleefully violent video game adaptation a treat for fans of game franchise". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ Kenigsberg, Ben (April 22, 2021). "'Mortal Kombat' Review: Battered and Bloody". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
- ^ Lowry, Brian (April 23, 2021). "'Mortal Kombat' ratchets up the gore, but as a movie, it's not a winner". CNN. Cable News Network. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
- ^ Goldberg, Matt (April 22, 2021). "'Mortal Kombat' Rips Out the Heart of What a 'Mortal Kombat' Movie Should Be : Review". Collider. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
- ^ Lee, Benjamin (May 6, 2021). "Mortal Kombat review – schlock video game adaptation packs a small punch". The Guardian. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
- ^ Lawrence, Gregory (April 21, 2021). "Fashion Chooses Safety Over Glitzy Parties for This Year's Oscars, as Chanel Nixes Iconic Dinner for Gift Boxes (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
- ^ Lawrence, Gregory (April 23, 2021). "'Mortal Kombat' Ending Tease, Trilogy Plans, and Alternate Easter Eggs Explained by Writer Greg Russo". Collider. Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
- ^ Rubin, Rebecca (September 14, 2021). "Film Critics Say 'Dune' Should Be Seen on the Big Screen. Here's Why Warner Bros. Still Plans to Debut the Movie Simultaneously on HBO Max". Variety. Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (July 20, 2022). "'Mortal Kombat' Sequel Moving Forward At New Line As Simon McQuoid Returns As Director". Deadline. Archived from the original on July 20, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
- ^ "'Mortal Kombat' Director Simon McQuoid on Sequel Plans, Major Deaths and Johnny Cage". Variety. April 24, 2021. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
- ^ Deschamps, Marc (May 12, 2022). "Mortal Kombat 2 Writer Confirms Johnny Cage, Isn't Sure How Much He'll Be Included". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on June 1, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- ^ Al-Ghamdi, Abdullah (April 25, 2021). "Mortal Kombat Co-Creator Ed Boon Supports Casting The Miz as Johnny Cage". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- ^ Gonzalez, Umberto (May 4, 2023). "Karl Urban in Final Talks to Play Johnny Cage in 'Mortal Kombat 2' at New Line". TheWrap. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- ^ Kit, Borys (May 19, 2023). "Tati Gabrielle in Final Talks to Play Jade in 'Mortal Kombat 2' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
- ^ Kit, Borys (May 25, 2023). "Adeline Rudolph to Play Kitana in New Line's 'Mortal Kombat 2'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (June 15, 2023). "'Mortal Kombat 2': Martyn Ford, Desmond Chiam, Ana Thu Nguyen & Damon Herriman Join New Line Sequel". Deadline. Archived from the original on June 16, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
- ^ Stedman, Alex (June 15, 2023). "Archived copy". IGN. Archived from the original on June 17, 2023. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Moore, Logan (April 17, 2023). "Mortal Kombat 2 Movie Producer Confirms When Filming Will Begin". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
- ^ Bolding, Hunter (April 17, 2023). "Meet the New Characters of "Mortal Kombat 2"". That Hashtag Show. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2023.