We finally know when the Mortal Kombat movie is coming our way. Producer Todd Garner has shared a new poster for the upcoming reboot, which reveals an April 2021 release date. The movie, as previously revealed, will arrive both in theaters and on HBO Max on the same day as part of WarnerMedia’s game-changing release strategy for its 2021 slate.
Trailer in the new year. Sorry it took so long to get this out. pic.twitter.com/Jku86FYKo2
— Todd Garner (@Todd_Garner) December 14, 2020
The poster features a classic looking logo along with the Mortal Kombat title. The filmmakers and the studio decided to keep it simple with the title and get right to the point. Most importantly, the poster confirms the release date for April 16, 2021. Originally, the movie had been set to arrive in January but its release was delayed due to the ongoing uncertainty in the industry. What’s more, Todd Garner promised that the first trailer will be coming in the new year. While that’s not overly specific, it means we could be getting a glimpse at some footage in just a few weeks. Here’s what he had to say.
“Trailer in the new year. Sorry it took so long to get this out.”
Plot details for the reboot remain under wraps. It will, however, be R-rated and contain quite a few classic characters from the video games. The cast includes Joe Taslim (Sub-Zero), Hiroyuki Sanada (Scorpion), Chin Han (Shang Tsung), Ludi Lin (Liu Kang), Jessica McNamee (Sonya Blade), Josh Lawson (Kano), Tadanobu Asano (Raiden), Mehcad Brooks (Jax) and Sisi Stringer (Mileena). Lewis Tan is on board in a leading role but his character remains a mystery. Simon McQuoid is making his feature directorial debut with The Conjuring and Aquaman filmmaker James Wan on board as a producer. Greg Russo wrote the screenplay. Russo has promised that the movie will be bloody and will feature fatalities, which have been a staple of the games since the very beginning.
This is one of many movies from WarnerMedia that will get a hybrid release on HBO Max and in theaters. Wonder Woman 1984 was announced as the first movie to get such a release. The studio then shook the industry in a big way by revealing that its entire 2021 movie slate would do the same. This includes The Suicide Squad, Dune, The Matrix 4 and Godzilla vs. Kong, among others. The move has been harshly criticized by theater chains such as AMC, as well as filmmakers like Denis Villeneuve, who helmed Dune, Christopher Nolan and Judd Apatow.
Mortal Kombat kicked off in 1992 with the first entry in the fighting game series. The most recent release, Mortal Kombat 11, was released in 2019. A movie was previously produced in 1995, representing one of Hollywood’s early attempts at bringing a video game to the big screen. It was successful, earning an estimated $122 million at the box office. A less successful sequel titled Mortal Kombat: Annihilation followed in 1997. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as further details regarding the reboot are made available. Be sure to check out the poster from Todd Garner’s Twitter for yourself.
