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Mortal Kombat (2021 film)

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Mortal Kombat (film)
Company typeFilm
IndustryEntertainment
Founded2021
FounderSimon McQuoid (director), Greg Russo and Dave Callaham (screenwriters)
Headquarters
United States
ProductsFilm

Mortal Kombat is a 2021 American martial arts fantasy film co-produced and directed by Simon McQuoid, marking his feature film debut. The screenplay was crafted by Greg Russo and Dave Callaham. Drawing inspiration from the Mortal Kombat video game franchise created by Ed Boon and John Tobias, this movie serves as a reboot of the Mortal Kombat film franchise and represents its third installment overall. The cast includes Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Tadanobu Asano, Mehcad Brooks, Ludi Lin, Chin Han, Max Huang, Joe Taslim, and Hiroyuki Sanada. The narrative centers on Cole Young, a former mixed martial artist unaware of his lineage, who becomes the target of the assassin Sub-Zero. To safeguard his loved ones, Cole aligns with fighters defending Earthrealm against Outworld.

Following the 1997 commercial disappointment of Mortal Kombat Annihilation, plans for a third film were postponed for nearly twenty years. Development resumed in late 2010 when Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema initiated a new adaptation, initially directed by Kevin Tancharoen with a script by Oren Uziel, inspired by their short film Mortal Kombat: Rebirth (2010). Producer James Wan joined the project in 2015, and McQuoid was appointed director in 2016. Filming occurred at Adelaide Studios along with other sites across South Australia, with principal photography spanning from September to December 2019.

The movie premiered internationally on April 8, 2021, followed by its U.S. release on April 23 across theaters featuring Dolby Cinema, IMAX, and 4DX formats, as well as on HBO Max. Critical reception was mixed; reviewers commended the cast’s performances, production values, action choreography, and fidelity to the original game compared to earlier adaptations but criticized the script and exposition. With a production budget of $55 million, it achieved over $84 million worldwide in box office revenue and became HBO Max’s most successful film debut.

A sequel titled Mortal Kombat II is slated for release on October 24, 2025. Jeremy Slater is responsible for the screenplay, while McQuoid returns to direct.

Plot

In Japan during 1617, assassins led by Bi-Han launch an assault on Hanzo Hasashi’s clan, resulting in the death of his family. Although Hanzo defeats the attackers, he succumbs to his injuries; his soul is condemned to the Netherrealm. The Thunder god Raiden rescues Hanzo’s infant daughter.

By the year 2021, Outworld has triumphed in nine "Mortal Kombat" tournaments against Earthrealm. A tenth loss would mean Earth's subjugation. An ancient prophecy predicts that descendants of Hanzo Hasashi will bring together new champions to thwart Outworld’s conquest. Sorcerer Shang Tsung dispatches warriors to eliminate Earthrealm’s dragon-marked champions before the tenth tournament begins.

Mixed martial artist Cole Young and his family come under attack by Bi-Han—now known as Sub-Zero. Special Forces Major Jackson "Jax" Briggs intervenes to rescue them and advises Cole to seek out Sonya Blade. Jax engages Sub-Zero but loses his arms during the fight.

Cole locates Sonya Blade, who interrogates mercenary Kano. Jax and Sonya investigate Mortal Kombat’s reality but are ambushed by assassin Syzoth, whom Kano kills with their assistance. They then encounter Raiden along with champions Liu Kang and Kung Lao at Raiden's temple; Raiden initially doubts the newcomers’ potential. He rescues Jax and equips him with mechanical arms. Shang Tsung attempts an assault on the temple but is repelled by Raiden’s protective barrier. Cole and Kano train alongside Liu Kang and Kung Lao to awaken their unique "arcana" abilities.

Kano successfully activates his arcana, gaining laser vision; however, Cole struggles to do so. Frustrated, Raiden sends Cole back home after revealing his Hasashi heritage. Shang Tsung assembles a group of warriors—including Kano’s former ally Kabal—to attack the temple. Kabal persuades Kano to switch sides and sabotage Raiden’s shield. During this confrontation, Jax awakens his arcana powers, granting him superhuman strength and enhanced arms. Meanwhile, Cole's family is targeted by Goro. Awakening his arcana as well, Cole gains armor that absorbs kinetic energy along with tonfas; he kills Goro and aids in repelling the temple invasion. Raiden teleports all fighters to the Void—a secure location—where Sub-Zero attempts to stop Cole but is saved by Kung Lao, who is subsequently captured by Shang Tsung.

Cole suggests forcing Outworld champions into one-on-one combat before jointly confronting Sub-Zero. Raiden consents and entrusts Cole with Hanzo's kunai, stained with Hanzo’s bloodline essence. Transported individually to their targets, they defeat Outworld champions; Sonya kills Kano and inherits his dragon mark, enabling her to fire energy blasts from her arms. Sub-Zero kidnaps Cole’s family to lure him into battle. Overpowered initially, Cole uses the kunai to summon Hanzo’s vengeful spirit, Scorpion. Recognizing Cole as kin, Scorpion assists in defeating Sub-Zero and rescuing Cole’s family before departing after entrusting him with protecting the Hasashi lineage as Raiden and others arrive.

Shang Tsung declares he will send armies rather than individual fighters in future conflicts. Raiden banishes him once more and commits to training new warriors ahead of the next tournament while assigning current champions recruitment duties. Cole sets out for Los Angeles to locate martial arts star Johnny Cage.

Cast

Development

Back in 1997, the original Mortal Kombat contract involving Robin Shou included a three-film commitment, with Threshold Entertainment intending to produce a sequel following Annihilation. Nevertheless, due to the negative critical response and commercial failure of Annihilation, development on the third installment was halted amid numerous script revisions and casting alterations. A 2001 fan survey on the official Mortal Kombat website indicated sustained audience interest. The devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005 affected previously intended filming sites. By June 2009, a lawsuit referenced ongoing work on a third movie. When Warner Bros. Pictures acquired most of Midway’s properties, including Mortal Kombat, momentum for a franchise reboot increased.

In 2010, director Kevin Tancharoen unveiled an eight-minute short film titled Mortal Kombat: Rebirth as a proposal to Warner Bros. for reviving the series. By September 2011, both New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. had engaged Tancharoen to helm a full-length feature scripted by Oren Uziel, targeting an R rating with a budget between $40–50 million and aiming for a 2013 release. However, financial limitations delayed production, prompting Tancharoen to concentrate on the web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy. He exited the project in October 2013.

In August 2015, James Wan joined the production team as a producer. Later, in November 2016, Simon McQuoid was appointed director for his debut feature film, with the script penned by Greg Russo. Initially reluctant, McQuoid accepted the role after reviewing Russo’s screenplay. By February 2019, Russo confirmed that the script was finalized.

Pre-production activities commenced in May 2019 with filming scheduled in South Australia, aiming for a March 5, 2021 release date. Russo also confirmed that the film would carry an R rating and incorporate the franchise’s signature Fatalities, showcased on screen for the first time.

In April 2021, McQuoid disclosed that the film nearly received an NC-17 rating due to its intense violence but underwent edits to achieve the intended R classification.

Casting

The initial casting announcement occurred in July 2019 with Joe Taslim selected to portray Sub-Zero. The following month, Mehcad Brooks, Tadanobu Asano, Sisi Stringer, and Ludi Lin were added to the lineup as Jax Briggs, Raiden, Mileena, and Liu Kang, respectively. Later in August, the cast expanded to include Josh Lawson as Kano, Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Chin Han in the role of Shang Tsung, and Hiroyuki Sanada portraying Scorpion. Additionally, Lewis Tan was cast as Cole Young, a character created exclusively for this adaptation. On September 16, 2019, Max Huang joined the cast playing Kung Lao. Initially, stuntwoman Elissa Cadwell was assigned the role of Nitara in November 2019; however, she was subsequently replaced by Mel Jarnson. In December of the same year, Matilda Kimber was introduced to the cast in the role of Emily.

Filming

Principal photography took place at Adelaide Studios along with various locations across South Australia from September 16 through December 13, 2019. In November 2020, producer Todd Garner disclosed that additional filming sessions were necessary due to postponements in the film's release schedule. The cinematography utilized ARRI ALEXA LF and Mini LF cameras combined with Panavision Anamorphic lenses to capture the footage.

Visual effects

The primary visual effects responsibilities were handled by Adelaide-based company Rising Sun Pictures (RSP), which produced more than 600 VFX shots for the movie. This included a significant 10-minute combat sequence. Their work on the project earned RSP an AEAF Special Merit Award in 2021.

Music

The soundtrack for Mortal Kombat was composed by Benjamin Wallfisch. Director Simon McQuoid revealed in March 2021 that Wallfisch had started composing music prior to officially joining the production. The film also features a fresh rendition of "Techno Syndrome" by The Immortals, reimagined and produced by Wallfisch.

Marketing

Initially scheduled for release on January 15, 2021 before pandemic-related delays, Entertainment Weekly offered an exclusive first look with behind-the-scenes images on that date. On February 17, 2021, character posters were unveiled alongside news of the upcoming trailer premiere set for the following day. The red-band trailer debuted on February 18, 2021 and rapidly became the most-viewed red-band trailer until it was overtaken by The Suicide Squad approximately one month later.

Theatrical and streaming

Mortal Kombat premiered internationally beginning April 8, 2021, followed by its U.S. release on April 23, 2021. It was available in cinemas featuring Dolby Cinema, IMAX, and 4DX formats, as well as through the HBO Max streaming platform. Originally slated for March 5, 2021, the launch date experienced several postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic before finally settling on an April 16 release in 3D. Warner Bros. offered the movie on HBO Max concurrently for a one-month period prior to adhering to the typical home media distribution timeline. In regions like Australia and New Zealand, where HBO Max is not accessible, the film debuted on Netflix in January 2022.

The U.S. debut was postponed by one week to April 23. Although official Mortal Kombat video games are not available in Japan because of local restrictions on graphic content, the film was released there on June 18, 2021.

Home media

On June 11, 2021, Mortal Kombat became available via Digital HD, with physical editions including DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra HD Blu-ray distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on July 13, 2021.

Audience viewership

After its U.S. launch, data from Samba TV indicated that within three days, approximately 3.8 million households had viewed at least five minutes of the film. This number climbed to 4.3 million during the first week and reached 5.5 million over a span of seventeen days, establishing a new record for an HBO Max title. By the conclusion of its initial month, streaming had occurred in more than 5.6 million American households. In January 2022, technology company Akami ranked Mortal Kombat as the fifth most pirated movie of the year 2021.

Box office

Globally, Mortal Kombat earned $42.3 million across the United States and Canada and an additional $42.1 million internationally, accumulating a total of $84.4 million worldwide.

The film’s domestic release on April 23, 2021, coincided with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train. Initial forecasts predicted a domestic opening between $10 million and $12 million; however, a strong opening day performance of $9 million from over 3,000 theaters boosted projections to $19 million. Ultimately, it debuted at number one with $23.3 million at the box office. During its second weekend, earnings declined by 73% to $6.2 million, placing it second behind Demon Slayer, which grossed $6.4 million; in its third weekend, it brought in $2.4 million.

On the international front, Mortal Kombat opened with $10.7 million across seventeen markets, with Russia leading at $6.1 million. The second international weekend generated $5.7 million from twenty-eight countries.

Critical response

Audience polling by CinemaScore assigned the film an average grade of "B+" on a scale ranging from A+ to F.

Alonso Duralde of TheWrap observed that while martial arts sequences were frequently overshadowed by digital effects, fans of Sam Raimi might appreciate the film’s exaggerated gore elements. John DeFore from The Hollywood Reporter characterized it as a B-movie lacking cleverness and charm that struggled under heightened audience expectations typical for superhero ensemble films.

Critics Korey Coleman and Martin Thomas from Double Toasted expressed dissatisfaction with the cast’s inability to connect with viewers and found protagonist Cole Young underwhelming. In contrast, James Marsh of the South China Morning Post commended director Simon McQuoid for respecting the source material through memorable dialogue and iconic fight moves.

Ben Kenigsberg from The New York Times criticized the movie’s efforts to construct a coherent storyline around established game characters. Brian Lowry of CNN labeled it as not worth watching despite increased gore levels. Matt Goldberg writing for Collider described it as a joyless experience that failed to deliver compelling fight scenes. Benjamin Lee from The Guardian gave it a rating of two out of five stars, deeming it a dated and silly adaptation better suited for late-night viewing sessions.

Sequel

Joe Taslim, who took on the role of Sub-Zero, committed to appear in four sequels, contingent upon the reboot’s commercial success. Co-writer Greg Russo envisioned the reboot as the foundation for a trilogy, planning the second installment to focus on the Mortal Kombat tournament itself, with the third film unfolding after those events. On September 14, 2021, Variety revealed that Warner Bros. was working on expanding the Mortal Kombat franchise with additional projects.

On January 26, 2022, Warner Bros. officially approved the sequel, bringing back Simon McQuoid as director and Jeremy Slater to pen the screenplay. McQuoid noted that Johnny Cage was left out of the initial film because his "larger-than-life personality" might have disrupted its balance. Slater confirmed that Cage would be introduced in the sequel but withheld details about the character’s specific involvement. Professional wrestler Mike "The Miz" Mizanin expressed interest in portraying Cage, receiving endorsement from co-creator Ed Boon; however, Karl Urban entered advanced negotiations for this role.

In May 2023, Tati Gabrielle and Adeline Rudolph were announced to play Jade and Kitana, respectively. The casting updates in June 2023 included Martyn Ford as Shao Kahn, Ana Thu Nguyen as Sindel, Damon Herriman as Quan Chi, and Desmond Chiam as King Jerrod. Additionally, several actors from the original film—Lewis Tan, Ludi Lin, Tadanobu Asano, Jessica McNamee, Chin Han, and Hiroyuki Sanada—were confirmed to return in their established roles.

Producer James Wan confirmed that filming was scheduled from June through September 2023 in Queensland, Australia. Reports also suggested that characters such as Shao Kahn, Baraka, Kitana, Quan Chi, and Sindel would feature prominently in the sequel.

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