After months of uncertainty, ‘Mortal Kombat’ finally has a release date. Fans all over the world are waiting restlessly to watch the reboot ever since it was announced. The film was originally set to come out at the end of January in theaters. But due to the pandemic situation, the film has now been pushed back. It’s set to come out in theaters and HBO MAX simultaneously. So Fans can enjoy the movie with their families without taking the risk to go out during the pandemic. But the fans who want a theatrical experience can go out and enjoy the movie on the big screen as well. So it’s a win-win situation for the fans and Warner Bros. Their streaming service HBO MAX has been a disappointment so far. So Warner Bros. has moved their whole 2021 movie schedule to the streaming service to give it a boost.
Simultaneous Release in Theaters and HBO MAX A Good Move?
With every studio seemingly in a race to win the streaming war, Warner Bros officially launched their own streaming service called ‘HBO MAX.’ But it paled compared to other streaming giants such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Disney Plus. So in a desperate move to save the streaming service from crashing and burning, the studio has made the call to put out all of their 2021 movies on HBO MAX simultaneously with a theatre release. This move has not been well received by the filmmakers and big-time directors such as Christopher Nolan, and Denis Villeneuve have blasted the studio for the move. But the clear winners here are the fans. They get to enjoy the movie in the comfort of their homes. The fans who want a purely cinematic experience can go out to their nearest movie theater and enjoy the films as well.
A Brief History Of The ‘Mortal Kombat’ Franchise
‘Mortal Kombat’ is one of the most popular combat video game franchises in the world. The first video game was released in 1992. It became a hit with the gamers instantaneously. The game was adapted into a feature film three years after the first game. ‘Mortal Kombat’ movie came out in 1995. Paul W.S. Anderson directed the film with a very modest budget of $18 Million. The movie was not received well critically at all. But it was a commercial success. The movie went on to earn over $70 Million at the domestic box office. And it made an estimated $122 Million worldwide.
The sequel came out in 1997, and it was titled ‘Mortal Kombat: Annihilation,’ but John R. Leonetti directed this installment. Critics panned the film, and it failed to capture the imagination of the audience as well. The film earned just over $31 Million at the domestic box office, and worldwide, it was an estimated $51 Million.
The franchise made a few attempts at a cinematic comeback. Kevin Tancharoen released an unofficial short film titled ‘Mortal Kombat: Rebirth.’ He was officially confirmed as the director of a new movie in 2011 by the studio. But the project got delayed multiple times. In 2013, Kevin Tancharoen left the project.
In 2015, famed horror genre specialist James Wan took over and started developing a new ‘Mortal Kombat’ movie. Debutant director Simon McQuoid was hired to direct the movie. Greg Russo wrote the script for the film.
‘Mortal Kombat’ 2021: Cast, Crew, and Release Date
Simon McQuoid will direct the 2021 reboot with James Wan of ‘The Conjuring’ fame as the producer alongside Todd Garner. And the screenplay is written by Greg Russo and David Callaghan.
The film stars Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Joe Taslim as Bi-Han / Sub-Zero, Tadanobu Asano as Raiden, Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Mehcad Brooks as Jackson “Jax” Briggs, Josh Lawson as Kano, Chin Han as Shang Tsung, Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion, Max Huang as Kung Lao. Sisi Stringer as Mileena, Elissa Cadwell as Nitara, and Daniel Nelson as Kabal.
The film is set to come out in both HBO MAX and Theaters simultaneously on April 16, 2021.
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