Less than two weeks away from the premiere of the highly-anticipated Simon McQuoid-helmed Mortal Kombat reboot, Warner Bros has offered another featurette providing some additional insight to the film and the epic fight sequences required to make the translation of video game violence as authentic as possible on-screen.
The collection of cast interviews, never-before-seen footage, and behind-the-scenes vantage point details the process behind casting the right personnel to pull off such a physically demanding shoot. Utilizing actual MMA fighters and martial arts experts, the featurette underscores the 'sickeningly violent' fatalities that await audiences when the film debuts next week and the painstaking process that went into creating those instances on film.
The official description for Mortal Kombat reads, ”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?”
Among the ensemble cast for the mega film includes Lewis Tan (Deadpool 2), Jessica McNamee (The Meg) as Sonya Blade; Josh Lawson as Kano, Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden, Mehcad Brooks as "Jax” Bridges, Ludi Lin (Aquaman) as Liu Kang, Joe Taslim as Bi-Han/Sub-Zero, and Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi/Scorpion. The film is set to debut in theaters and HBO Max on April 23rd.
