Get over here!
Official 'Mortal Kombat' trailer teases a bloody good time
It has begun! The official trailer of Mortal Kombat from New Line Cinema just dropped and it looks like viewers are in for a bloody good time in the spirit of the famously gory video game franchise.
The red band trailer released by Warner Bros. on Thursday (Feb. 18) introduces the whole raft of popular Mortal Kombat characters and defenders of Earthrealm including Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, Jax Briggs, Kung Lao and Lord Raiden along with glimpses of villains likes Kano, Sub Zero, Scorpion, Shang Tsung, Goro, Mileena and Noob Saibot in action.
Midway Games released the first Mortal Kombat game in 1992, and the franchise became hugely influential for many teenagers who frequented video arcades during that era. Set in a fictional universe, the violent fighting game gathers the greatest warriors from various realms to compete in a series of grand tournaments where they fight to bloody death in order to conquer other realms.
The 1995 martial arts action film version directed by Paul Anderson, which starred Robin Shou as Liu Kang, Linden Ashby as Johnny Cage, Bridgette Wilson as Sonya Blade and Christopher Lambert as Lord Raiden, was the first installment in the Mortal Kombat film series and is considered a cult classic.
The trailer for the 2021 film reboot depicts some of the game’s famous fatalities, such as Lui Kang's fire dragon transformation and Kano's heart ender. And yes, we hear Scorpion uttering the famous line "Get over here!"
The film’s official premise follows MMA fighter Cole Young, a new character. Accustomed to taking a beating for money, Cole 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 reboot directed by Simon McQuoid and produced by James Wan 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.
Based on the new trailer, the new Mortal Kombat film looks like it’s shaping up to be a non-stop, blood-soaked fighting fest. We can’t wait.
Mortal Kombat is expected to be unleashed on April 16, 2021 in theaters while streaming simultaneously for one month on HBO Max.
(Images via Warner Bros.)