‘Mortal Kombat’ Trailer: Warner Bros. Gives Legendary Fighting Game an R-Rated Reboot
It’s been 24 years since “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation” hit theaters, but fatalities will return to the silver screen when the James Wan-produced “Mortal Kombat” premieres in theaters and on HBO Max starting April 16. Warner Bros. released the trailer for the upcoming film on Thursday.
“Mortal Kombat” marks the third live-action film adaptation of the classic fighting video game franchise, which debuted in 1992 and has received over a dozen sequels. Wan, who directed hit films such as “Aquaman,” “Furious 7,” “The Conjuring,” and 2004’s “Saw, produced the film alongside Todd Garner, E. Bennett Walsh, and Simon McQuoid, who also served as director.
The Warner Bros. synopsis for the film reads: In “Mortal Kombat,” MMA fighter Cole Young, accustomed to taking a beating for money, is unaware of his heritage — or why Outworld’s Emperor Shang Tsung has sent his best warrior, Sub-Zero, an otherworldly Cryomancer, to hunt Cole down. Fearing for his family’s safety, Cole goes in search of Sonya Blade at the direction of Jax, a Special Forces Major who bears the same strange dragon marking Cole was born with. Soon, he finds himself at the temple of Lord Raiden, an Elder God and the protector of Earthrealm, who grants sanctuary to those who bear the mark. Here, Cole trains with experienced warriors Liu Kang, Kung Lao and rogue mercenary Kano, as he prepares to stand with Earth’s greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe. But will Cole be pushed hard enough to unlock his arcana — the immense power from within his soul — in time to save not only his family, but to stop Outworld once and for all?
The film stars Lewis Tan as Cole Young; Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade; Josh Lawson as Kano; Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden; Mehcad Brooks as Jackson “Jax” Bridges; Ludi Lin as Liu Kang; with Chin Han as Shang Tsung; Joe Taslim as Bi-Han and Sub-Zero; and Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi and Scorpion. Also featured are Max Huang as Kung Lao; Sisi Stringer as Mileena; Matilda Kimber as Emily Young; and Laura Brent as Allison Young.
The “Mortal Kombat” franchise is no stranger to live-action adaptations: Though “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation” received poor reviews and was a box office bomb, the 1995 “Mortal Kombat” film has endured as a cult classic, despite mixed reviews. The franchise has also been adapted into two live-action television shows.
Check out the trailer for “Mortal Kombat” below:
