The upcoming movie reboot of Mortal Kombat is officially filming. Even though most video game properties have struggled to even get a single adaptation on the big screen, Mortal Kombat will be one of a few to get the reboot treatment. The first Mortal Kombat movie hit theaters in 1995, with the success being enough to greenlight see a sequel released two years later. Its been more than two decades since the property has been on the big screen, but it is returning thanks to a push from producer James Wan.
The Aquaman director is not going to helm the reboot of the classic - and still ongoing - video game franchise though. First-time director Simon McQuoid is set to fill that role on Mortal Kombat, which will be the first for many. The movie will be the first credits for writer Greg Russo and will put rising names like Joe Taslim (Sub-Zero) and Ludi Lin (Liu Kang) at the forefront. New Line Cinema has assembled a giant cast for the movie over the last few weeks all in the lead-up to cameras rolling.
Thanks to Russo, we now have confirmation that filming on Mortal Kombat is underway in Australia. Russo shared a photo of the clapper from Day 1 of production on his Twitter to commemorate the beginning. For fans of the games, he included the well-known phrase “It has begun” as both a callback to the franchise and to reference the start of production. Russo also makes reference to the Elder Gods, the omnipotent beings who watch over the Mortal Kombat universe.
With Mortal Kombat now filming, the entire cast and crew will have plenty of time to make the best movie possible. The film already has a release date, but it is not until March of 2021. As long as that release date sticks, then the team will have a year and a half to complete the film from the start of production. Since the actual shoot for Mortal Kombat should be done well before March of next year, they should have roughly a year in post-production to finalize the cut and make the R-rated fatalities look as good as they can.
Since it will likely be a while until official marketing materials for Mortal Kombat begins, it’s possible that more teases will arrive before then. It is unlikely that the film will be able to completely avoid set photos making their way online, so it could be beneficial to reveal some of the cast’s costumes before then. Fans are understandably anxious to see how many of the franchise’s most popular fighters will translate to the big screen in this reboot. A few timely photos every now and then could give fans an idea of how Mortal Kombat is shaping up, and keep the movie in the press in the lead up to 2021.
MORE: 10 Fatalities We Hope To See In The R-Rated Mortal Kombat Movie
Source: Greg Russo
- Mortal Kombat - 2021 Release Date: 2021-04-23
