Mortal Kombat has unleashed a behind-the-scenes video that features all-new footage showcasing the extensive cast of characters and the brutal, mostly-practical fights ripped from the source material. Eagle-eyed fans will catch a few extended looks at some familiar faces including Kabal, Reptile, Mileena and more.
There is a distinct focus on the film adaptation’s balancing act between drama and bloody action amongst a sea of iconic characters that more than deserve that challenge. Mortal Kombat aims to bring to life instantly recognizable fighters like Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim) and Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada) to the big screen, but the featurette also shines a light on the lesser-known characters from the iconic franchise. Fan-favorites Kabal (Daniel Nelson) and Mileena (Sisi Stringer) are featured in action throughout the video as well as Reptile, whose unique look separates itself from the games. The love for the game franchise is palpable just by looking at the immense detail of the production design and the hands-on action sequences that Kano himself Josh Lawson promises are not "all CG."
The featurette arrives just over a month after the exhilarating first red band trailer dropped and broke all kinds of viewership records in its first week (until The Suicide Squad swooped in and set new ones!). It’s not unlikely that fans will get another peek at Mortal Kombat before it releases in theaters and HBO Max later this month. Until then, the three-minute video contains a lot for the fans and assures general audiences that this won’t be the typical disappointing video game adaptation we’re so used to seeing. In fact, Collider had the opportunity to watch the first 13 minutes of the movie back in March and it certainly seems we’re in for a bloody treat.
Directed by Simon McQuoid and written by Greg Russo, Mortal Kombat stars Lewis Tan as Cole Young, who leads a diverse cast of actors including Jessica McNamee (Sonya Blade), Tadanobu Asano (Raiden), Mehcad Brooks (Jax), Ludi Lin (Liu Kang) and Chin Han (Shang Tsung), among others.
Mortal Kombat is set to release in theaters and on HBO Max on April 23. Watch the new behind-the-scenes video below: