Edit (April 2nd): Is this a joke? You bet it is! Video game movies might play it fast and loose but we weren't fooling anybody with this hastily assembled cinematic April Fool! Fans of 1973 British horror film The Wicker Man spotted this fake from a mile-off, but did you identify all six tricks? Make your boast in the comments below, and have more fun revisiting classic MK April Fool pranks!

A follow-up to the most recent Mortal Kombat feature film was on the cards as soon as it was released, and with a franchise anniversary looming later this year, it seems the hotly anticipated sequel has already begun shooting in secret. Warning - the following post contains spoilers:

The leaked image appears to confirm the overdue arrival of Johnny Cage alongside returning heroes Liu Kang (Ludi Lin) and Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee). The dramatic desert scene also appears to confirm a return to the South Australian filming location, but it's difficult to tell if the sandy desert will double Outworld, Earthrealm, or somewhere in between.

Earthrealm's leading defenders -- made famous in the original Mortal Kombat video game and its 1995 feature adaptation -- can be seen approaching a small group surrounding a large, four-armed wooden effigy. An unidentified Shokan warrior, possibly Kintaro, stands to the left of the ritualistic structure (right on-screen), with another dark ninja-style figure drawing the attention of the heroes on the opposite side.

Prince Goro was killed by Cole Young (Lewis Tan) in one of the most controversial sequences of the 2021 franchise starter. It could be him standing inside the structure, possibly as part of a revenge or resurrection ritual.

The image sadly doesn't clarify who has been cast in the coveted role of Cage, who was shockingly relegated to a teaser at the end of the 2021 film, and became the subject of extensive fan speculation. WWE wrestler Mike "The Miz" Mizanin, action star Alain Moussi, and even Ryan Reynolds have all commented on the role, but the low resolution profile gives few clues.

Bi-Han (Joe Taslim) is expected to return as the blackened wraith Noob Saibot, but under scrutiny the ninja-like figure appears to wear a beak-like plague mask. A motif familiar to Jeremy Slater -- writer for Marvel's Moon Knight who joined MK2 earlier this year.

[Related Article: Mortal Kombat Producer on Johnny Cage & Rain Omissions]

Leaked via a since-deleted post to Reddit by "Aquilluxborg", an account created in December 2020; the image carries a similar Warner Bros production watermark to previously leaked footage from the unreleased third MK webseries.

Can you identify the mysteryman playing Johnny Cage? Share your theories in the comments below and tell us what you'd like to see in the Mortal Kombat movie sequel. Find and discuss more stories in the Media & Merchandise forum.

As the years march on the story of Mortal Kombat and its continued runaway success only grows more interesting and legendary. For author David L Craddock: the saga has inspired a wealth of material for his book Long Live Mortal Kombat Round 1 and now he's seeking to source funds from the very fandom he has written about to complete the ultimate printing. Read on for details:

Craddock has written extensively about video games, authoring the Stay Awhile and Listen series about Blizzard Entertainment, and is seeking a target goal of $10,000 to complete finalized printing, editing, and distribution of his book Long Live Mortal Kombat Round 1: The Fatalities and Fandom of the Arcade Era.

You can hear it all in his own words in the pitch video embedded below, and discover how you to get involved in the already booming Kickstarter campaign, which has reached more than 80% of its goal in a matter of two days.

The first in a planned trilogy of titles; Round 1 covers the arcade era of the series, spanning the original Mortal Kombat -- which celebrates its 30th anniversary later this year -- through to Mortal Kombat 4. Along with striving to be a definitive tome of the series' behind the scenes history, it also differentiates its perspective from others by examining the fandom that has stayed with the series, and the cultural phenomenon spawned from playing and enjoying the games.

Reward tiers include multiple versions of the book, including an Ultimate Hardcover Edition filled with full colour photographs sourced from fans, and even an audio version. Content for each goal can be seen below, along with cover art of the two editions.

Did you contribute backing to Long Live Mortal Kombat? Tell us all about it in the comments below and delve deeper into nostalgia in the 2D Kombat Klassics and 3D Kombat Klassics forums for more retro revival!

Later this year Mortal Kombat will celebrate its 30th Anniversary and series co-creator Ed Boon is dipping into his personal archive to share incredible moments from the 1991 development of the original game. This time he reveals a crucial moment in the creation of Sub-Zero. Watch:

The latest "fly on the wall" clip shows live-action actor Daniel Pesina receiving direction from Boon & Tobias as they search for a stance that will distinguish Sub-Zero from his arch-rival Scorpion. The process, which used palette swapping to convert the yellow ninja costume to blue, sees the team experiment with several positions before settling upon Sub-Zero's open handed approach.

Palette swapping sprites famously allowed the developers to economically generate two characters, with the unique fighting stance creating the impression of a distinct second character for the price of just 7 frames of animation. In finding the right pose, they needed to make sure it would work with the same punches & kicks used by Scorpion.

Since we thought of the idea during the shoot, the next step was to come up with a unique fighting stance for each ninja. They had to be different (to stand apart) but still work with all the attacks (punches and kicks) the two ninjas shared.

— Ed Boon (@noobde) March 10, 2022

The improvisational element of designing the finished sprites was evident in previous footage that showed the creation of Scorpion's iconic spear, and Boon notes "... how spontaneous our decisions had to be, based on what we were seeing right at that moment. John suggesting that Scorpion spin his fists. Me suggesting Sub-zero tuck his hand to his chest and sway back & forth."

The footage shows several fight poses not used and the AIAS Hall of Famer has teased reveal more from the 1991 cutting room floor. What would you like to see from the making of the first game? Share your thoughts in the comments below and find & discuss more in the 2D Kombat Klassics forum.

We are excited to join our partners over at the Mortal Kombat Subreddit this weekend and throwback to a Klassic for an exclusive one night Mortal Kombat X Survival Saturday on PlayStation 4!

This exclusive kommunity event is a Survival King of the Hill competition where the player with the biggest streak in the show's two hour stream period is declared the Ultimate Survivor. Your health during the match carries over to the next round, raising the overall intensity and stakes throughout the evening.

To play, join the Survival Saturday room this weekend in Mortal Kombat X, and jump into event organizer Survived Kombatant’s Survival KOTH lobby. No prior registration is required to compete!

You can expect some great surprises from the lore master himself, Tabmok99, and also hear some exclusive new announcer sound bytes from the legendary Tim Kitzrow of NBA Jam fame! We look forward to you joining us! Watch this special event LIVE on Saturday, March 12^th at over on our Twitch Channel.

The Evo World Championship will return to live competition in Las Vegas later this year after being driven online by world events last year. Among a full lineup of games will be Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate -- returning after being one of the heroes of the online competition. Read on for details:

Evo 2022 welcomes a robust lineup of World Championship tournaments to be contested on the PS4 -- preferred console provided by Evo owners & sponsors Sony Playstation. Business as usual for several of the competitive groups, including Street Fighter V and Tekken 7.

It will once again be a massive weekend of fighting game action with heats starting Friday, August 5th-6th, in the Bayside D, E, and F Exhibit Halls of the South Convention Center at Mandalay Bay. Only the best will advance to Sunday's main stage in the Michelob ULTRA Arena to compete for glory and prize money! Registration is open now at evo.gg

The full lineup also includes: Street Fighter V, Gilty Gear: Strive, Tekken 7, The King of Fighters XV, Melty Blood: Type Lumina, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Granblue Fantasy: Versus, and Skygirls: 2nd Encore. Nintendo controversially withdrew Super Smash Bros from competition eligibility, eliciting a mournfully tasteful statement in February.

Mortal Kombat 11 faced shock omission in 2020, before the event was cancelled, and Sony assumed full ownership. Combo Breaker Event Director Nick "TheHadou" Thiher was appointed Evo General Manager last December.

Will you walk the golden mile to Las Vegas to compete for glory and bragging rights at the 2022 Evo World Championship? Tell us all about it in the comments below and hone your skill by joining Fight Klub and discussing more in the Mortal Kombat 11 forum!