Get over here — and watch the trailer for Mortal Kombat.
Based on the video game series, Mortal Kombat is an R-rated, blood-soaked grand ol’ time from director Simon McQuoid and producer James Wan. It stars Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion, Josh Lawson as Kano, Sisi Stringer as Mileena, Tadanobu Asano as Raiden, Mehcad Brooks as Jax, Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Chin Han as Shang Tsung, and Joe Taslim as Sub-Zero, as well as Lewis Tan as a newcomer to the Mortal Kombat-verse, Cole Young. Maybe “Cole Young” isn’t as exciting a name as “Sub-Zero,” but based on the trailer above, he’s going to do his fair share of fatalities. 2021’s Mortal Kombat looks to be less campy than 1995’s silly-but-fun Mortal Kombat, but as long as it’s better than Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, people will be happy.
Here’s the official plot synopsis.
In “Mortal Kombat,” 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?
Mortal Kombat premieres on HBO Max on April 16.
