The cameras have stopped rolling on the highly anticipated Mortal Kombat movie sequel from Warner Bros, according to a recent social media post by one of the producers. This bone-crunching, action-packed movie follow-up is inching closer to a big-screen release, much to the excitement of fans of the popular fighting video game franchise.
Cole Young is a key descendant character of Mortal Kombat icon Scorpion who, due to his distinctive birthmark and ancestry, gets chosen to defend Earthrealm in the legendary Mortal Kombat tournament. The tournament pits the greatest fighters of Earthrealm against competitors from Outworld with the fate of Earth’s safety at stake. While Earthrealm prevails this time, a rematch seems imminent with the cameo appearance of Noob Saibot – an undead, resurrected version of Scorpion’s old nemesis Hanzo – nodding to the Mortal Kombat game and movie series’ theme of rebirth.
The first 2021 Mortal Kombat movie featured fan-favorite characters from the iconic video game franchise like Raiden (Tadanobu Asano), Jax (Mehcad Brooks), Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim), Kung Lao (Max Huang) and more. While it didn’t break any box office records for Warner Bros, it performed well enough to warrant a sequel, especially given its hybrid theatrical and streaming release strategy amidst the pandemic.
Filming for the Mortal Kombat sequel has moved swiftly since kicking off in November, overcoming industry-wide delays from recent strikes. Director Simon McQuoid returns to helm the sequel, working with screenwriter Jeremy Slater of Moon Knight fame. Hopes are higher at Warner Bros this time, thanks partly to the casting addition of The Boys and Dredd star Karl Urban.
Producer Todd Garner has shared behind-the-scenes glimpses from the Mortal Kombat sequel set, including a recent shot featuring returning actress Jessica McNamee as fan favorite Sonya Blade. Lead actor Lewis Tan, who played Cole Young in the 2020’s Mortal Kombat, posted on Instagram from the Warner Bros sequel’s wrap party signaling the end of principal photography.
After initial hesitation, Hiroyuki Sanada is back again as well playing the iconic Scorpion role. A recent sequel teaser also revealed Sanada’s Scorpion facing off against newcomers Kitana (Marceline Rudolph), Shao Khan (Martyn Ford), and shockingly – Quan Chi (Damon Herriman). More classic Mortal Kombat characters signal the movie may deliver more of what fans wanted in the first installment.
With filming wrapped, the highly anticipated Mortal Kombat sequel inches closer to a big screen release date likely in 2024. Fans eagerly await more footage and updates from Warner Bros, hoping this follow-up can build on the first movie’s world and character foundations with more fatalities and easter eggs to delight video game fans.
Did you watch the 2020 Warner Bros film? Do you think video games should branch out to different media like movies? Leave a comment to let us know!
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