Warner Bros. has finally given fans the first look at Mortal Kombat with a debut red-band trailer (meaning it's fully R-rated). The new live-action movie is just the latest in a long line of movies and TV shows that have sprung from the video game franchise of the same name. Mortal Kombat is one of many Warner Bros. movies set for day-and-date releases on HBO Max and in theaters, joining other big tentpoles like The Matrix 4, Godzilla vs. Kong, and The Suicide Squad.
This new Mortal Kombat is directed by Simon McQuoid, who has been attached to the long-gestating live-action movie since 2016 alongside producers James Wan. McQuoid will be directing from a script written by Greg Russo and Dave Callaham (Wonder Woman 1984). Plot details on Mortal Kombat have been scarce up until this point. Sure, we've seen a new poster for the movie and plenty of casting details, but where the story is concerned, it's been crickets. Yes, there will be a ton of fan-favorite Mortal Kombat characters present — Ludi Lin as Liu Kang; Joe Taslim as Sub-Zero; Josh Lawson as Kano; Tadanobu Asano as Raiden; Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade — and yes, they'll all be engaging in hand-to-hand fights that get gruesome pretty quick.
This trailer looks, frankly, pretty great. There's certainly a more grounded nature to the film than the 1990s version, but McQuoid and Co. also very wisely made the decision to lean into the iconography of the game with lines like "Get over here!" and "Finish him!" Indeed, that ending of the trailer is pure catnip for fans, and Warner Bros. was smart to release the trailer as red-band so fans can see that the R-rated adaptation is not holding back.
Mortal Kombat is set for release in theaters and on HBO Max on April 16, 2021. Check out the first teaser trailer for the new live-action adaptation below. For more, find out which Warner Bros. movies are coming to HBO Max throughout 2021.
Here's the official synopsis for Mortal Kombat:
From New Line Cinema comes the explosive new cinematic adventure 'Mortal Kombat,' inspired by the blockbuster video game franchise, which most recently enjoyed the most successful video game launch in its history, 'Mortal Kombat 11.' In 'Mortal Kombat,' MMA fighter Cole Young, 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?
