Ragesh Dipu
‘Mortal Kombat’, the upcoming movie based on the video game of the same name, has announced its cast. Mehcad Brooks, best known for ‘Supergirl‘, Tadanobu Asano, famous for appearing in ‘Thor: Ragnarok‘, Ludi Lin, who appears in ‘Power Rangers’ and Sisi Stringer, the Australian newcomer, are all part of the upcoming movie. ‘Mortal Kombat’ is the feature directorial debut of Simon McQuoid, the veteran commercial director. The script for the current version of the movie comes from Greg Russo. James Wan and Todd Garner are on board as the producers of ‘Mortal Kombat’. Larry Kasanoff, E. Bennett Walsh, Michael Clear, and Sean Robins are the executive producers. The Hollywood Reporter first reported the news.
New Line’s aim is to have as diverse a cast as possible in order to reflect the global nature of the franchise. Thus, they have actors coming in from film, television, and martial arts backgrounds. ‘Mortal Kombat’ is scheduled to release on March 5, 2021. The movie is slated to shoot later this year in southern Australia. While the plot of ‘Mortal Kombat’ remains unknown at this point, those who have played the games know that it has a roster of fighters from various realms who battle for supremacy in a fictional universe. With the fate of the universe hanging in the balance, these fighters do not hold back in battles which often end in fatalities and brutalities.
Brooks steps in as Jackson ‘Jax’ Briggs, the muscleman who used to be special forces. Jax is known for his heavy arms which can pack some devastating power. Stringer plays Mileena, the demonic and unstable sai jabbing assassin. The character is known for her quick moves and lethal weapon handling. Lin is Liu Kang, one of the original playable characters in ‘Mortal Kombat’. The monk turned fighter can harness the power of the dragon and channel it into deadly martial arts moves. Asano, who is a veteran actor in Japan, is in talks to step in as Raiden, one of the major players for the forces of good. Raiden is the Japanese god of thunder. Joe Taslim is already on board to play the iconic Sub-Zero, a ninja warrior who can manipulate ice.
For those unaware, ‘Mortal Kombat’ first came out in 1992 and has sold over 49 million copies. It spans over a dozen canon games and expansions, which makes it one of the most profitable video game franchises of all time. ‘Mortal Kombat 11’ came out in April. Since then, it has gone on to become the best selling title of 2019, besides being the most successful launch in the history of the franchise.
‘Mortal Kombat’ was previously made into a film in 1995 by Paul W. S. Anderson. The movie performed impressively, making $122 million globally. It was followed by another film adaptation, ‘Mortal Kombat: Annihilation’, which released in 1997.
