The latest entry in the long-running Mortal Kombat video game and film franchise is almost here, and today we get a look at the New Line Cinema reboot through an explosive new red band trailer.
Previously described as a “blood universe” by director Simon McQuoid, the live-action martial arts film follows the story of MMA fighter Cole Young (Lewis Tan), who goes in search of Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee) at the insistence of Jackson “Jax” Briggs (Mehcad Brooks) following an encounter with Sub Zero (Joe Taslim).
After meeting Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano), he teams with Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), Kung Lao (Max Huang), and Kano (Josh Lawson) to defend Earthrealm against its Outworld enemies. Chin Han stars as Outworld’s Emperor Shang Tsung. Other featured characters from the beloved game include Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada), Mileena (Sisi Stringer), Nitara (Elissa Cadwell), and Kabal (Daniel Nelson).
“When we first meet Cole, he’s in a really bad spot,” Tan told Entertainment Weekly earlier this year. “He’s down on his luck. He’s kind of a washed-up MMA fighter who used to be a champion, who used to believe in himself, who used to have a lot of hope in his career. And it’s all gone down the drain. It’s a very interesting place for a hero to start, and I think that, along the journey of Mortal Kombat and Cole discovering where he comes from, you’re introduced to all these other iconic characters and elements that everybody loves so dearly.”
That’s certainly true of the new trailer; McQuoid is here to give the people what they want. That includes Sub Zero running amok, Jax losing both of his frail human arms, Goro lending a hand or four, and Scorpion screaming, “Get over here!” Check it out below.
Mortal Kombat is produced by James Wan (Saw, Furious 7, Aquaman), Todd Garner, E. Bennett Walsh, and McQuoid. It’s set to hit movie theaters on April 16th, 2021 and will simultaneously be available on HBO Max for 31 days.