The fans of fight videogames can be happy because their beloved Sonya Blade, Cole Young, Raiden, Shang Tsung, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and the whole troupe of wicked characters are soon back on the big screen.
Mortal Kombat (2021) centers on MMA fighter Cole Young, who 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?
This series reboot, after Paul W.S. Anderson’s hit Mortal Kombat (1995), has been directed by debutant Simon McQuoid from a story by Dave Callaham (one of the writers of Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) and Godzilla (2014)), Oren Uziel (writer of The Cloverfield Paradox (2018), 22 Jump Street (2014), and writer-director of Shimmer Lake (2017)), and Greg Russo. It is based on the videogame created by Ed Boon and John Tobias.
Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Hiroyuki Sanada, Joe Taslim, Lewis Tan, Tadanobu Asano, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Chin Han, Sisi Stringer, Daniel Nelson, Max Huang, Mel Jarnson, Laura Brent, and Elissa Cadwell form the main cast.
Mortal Kombat (2021) is Rated R for strong bloody violence and language throughout, and some crude references. New Line Cinema and James Wan’s Atomic Monster Productions are producing. After being postponed a few times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Warner Bros. Pictures has set the final theatrical release date on April 16, 2021. Watch the trailer here.
