June last year, seven minutes and forty-nine seconds of video had the entire gaming internet and MK fan kommunity buzzing [full story]. Mortal Kombat: Rebirth was ultimately the work of Kevin Tancharoen: a director looking to develop a radical reimagining of the Mortal Kombat universe and its characters. To accompany this twisted new vision, noteworthy actors Michael Jai White (The Dark Knight, Black Dynamite, Spawn), Jeri Ryan (Star Trek: Voyager, Boston Public, Shark), and Ian Anthoy Dale (The Event, Tekken) lent their time and talents to a modest cast of extras, in what was otherwise a very well produced, high budget demo reel for online consumption. Or so it seemed...

Bloody-Disgusting.com is reporting that the video, witnessed by millions upon its release online, has earned Tancharoen the opportunity to produce an official series of ten short webisodes for Warner Brothers; current proprietors of the Mortal Kombat license and trademarks.

Tancharoen, who made his feature directorial debut in 2009 with the remake of Fame, had originally been aiming for an R-rated feature "reboot" of the franchise. On moving forward from the premise of the Rebirth demo, the director told Collider.com:

So with all that mysticism, I want to infuse it. But I also want to infuse it with a little bit more of a demonic presence, as opposed to an Asian mysticism presence, so that it feels a little bit more evil. That’s the thing about Mortal Kombat. I love that it was all the bad things. It was evil, it was bloody. It was your way of being twelve and rebelling. “I’m not gonna play Sonic the Hedgehog — I’m gonna play Mortal Kombat.” I definitely want to incorporate all of that stuff, but I want to incorporate it in a very tasteful way. Not in an over the top, campy way, where everyone one is just throwing fireballs, and throwing electricity, and having an unlimited supply of special moves. Because then, if you do that, to me they’re not special anymore at all. And I want to incorporate all of the very iconic things that have made Mortal Kombat so special.

Filming for the online series is reported to begin in Vancouver in February, with Michael Jai White returning in the lead role of Mortal Kombat II alumnist, Major Jackson "Jax" Briggs. The plot, reportedly written by [Kevin] Tancharoen, Todd Helbing, and Aaron Helbing, will presumably reside within the urbanized setting of Rebirth's grimey "Deacon City", developing an alternate take on the Mortal Kombat tournament that will be featured in April in the new game. This is not explicitly described in the original story, however.

Rebirth's greatest strength was arguably its willingness to take the Mortal Kombat franchise seriously, emphasising credible martial arts amidst the bloody cinematic battles. If your tastes veer closer to the official canon, however, be sure to check out recently released official materials from the game, including a character vignette delving into the beautiful and lethal origins of abominable clone, Mileena! Also just released this Fatality Friday: Kitana and Mileena renders, and a closer look at the history of The Dead Pool!

Mortal Kombat is expected to be released in April for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the first game since the formation of NetherRealm Studios. To coincide with the release, a new concept album, Mortal Kombat: Songs Inspired by the Warriors, will also be released through Warner Brothers' WaterTower Music.

Thanks to forum member ProfesserAhnka for first word on this story and others who submitted as well. If you think you have a lead, submit it to MKO!

A very active Friday has brought us much new media, and it includes the third in the series of Environment Bios!

• The Dead Pool Bio

The Dead Pool, one of Mortal Kombat II's signature stages and stage fatalities makes yet another appearance in this installment of the series. An uppercut into the green acid used to be virtually all we knew of the stage, but over the years we learned more about this barbaric structure. Created by the sorcerer Shang Tsung, it is virtually a wasteland featuring the remains from his flesh pits, of which characters such as Mileena and Meat originate. The desecrated corpses and bare skeletons reflect the environment's close ties with death and suffering, of which the player can be directly exposed with by a very popular returning stage fatality.

Introduced as pallette swaps in Mortal Kombat II, they've gone on to remain two of the most enduring female figures in the MK canon. Hot on the heels of the release of a character vignette and feature artwork, NetherRealm Studios have delivered yet another special treat for fans keen to get a closer look at Shao Kahn's sibling assassins, Mileena and Kitana!

The images, previously exclusive to magazine publications, reveal the new designs for each character in intimate detail. They reference earlier generations of the basic swimsuit, redesigned for this retelling of the story with a greater reflection of individuality in both. Fashionably fitting, given the fierce rivalry the two are famously known to have.

Kitana and Mileena will also have to fight over their dead pool playlist when WaterTower Music and Teenage Riot Records team-up to release, Mortal Kombat: Songs Inspired by the Warriors!

Executive produced by JFK of MSTRKRFT; the album will feature tracks inspired by the characters of Mortal Kombat, including the theme performed by Tokimonsta in Mileena's vignette. The album is officially released in April around the same time as the game, but you can get an early taste of the action by visiting iTunes or Amazon to purchase Mileena's theme.

Mortal Kombat is the first release for NetherRealm Studios since the sale of Midway, and will be available for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in standard and special editions.

GameSpot has posted an exclusive vignette of Mileena that delves into her origin:

Mileena was created by Shang Tsung in his foul flesh pits. Twisted and mad, she's equally beauty and beast. Devoid of a conscience, she has the rage of a wild animal. Only the evil lord Shao Kahn possesses the will to control her. Determined to destroy her rival Kitana, Mileena entered the Mortal Kombat tournament, ready to butcher anyone and everyone who gets in her way.

The vignette also mentions that the games' soundtrack is coming to stores in April 2011. Thanks go to user for the word on this update!

Update: The official Mortal Kombat Community Manager posted a longer preview of Mileena's theme song here.

The official Mortal Kombat Facebook unloaded a new image for Mortal Monday today, a high-res render of the terrifying temptress Mileena!

The render continues along with the "shadows" them silhouette of the victim involved in the grizzly attack. Here Mileena decapitates an unfortunate soul with her bare hands on the game's redone Pit background. Though the face is obscured, judging by the hairstyle of the victim this could very well be the head of the yet to be seen Liu Kang.

Mileena is the most popular character over on the official website, so we expect to see more of the vixen should Netherrealm Studios follow a similar path they took with Scorpion and Sub-Zero.