Fans have waited eagerly for a new live-action Mortal Kombat movie, but if an unverified report by pop culture site Revenge of The Fan is to be believed, animation may be the next narrative destination for the series.
The site, which recently correctly broke news of DC Entertainment features based on Batman: The Long Halloween and Superman: Red Son, alleges Warner Bros animation has cast actors for an upcoming Mortal Kombat feature, which may be released as a two-part adventure.
Rumored voice talent includes: Joel McHale (Community) and Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter), known for their live-action roles in television and film, with well known voice acting regulars like Fred Tatasciore (Voltron), Grey Griffin (Young Justice), Darin DePaul (Justice League Action), and Robin Atkin (Voltron), also attached in unknown roles.
Fans will also note the inclusion of familiar Mortal Kombat voices in the cast list: Patrick Seitz and Steve Blum voiced Scorpion and Sub-Zero respectively as recently as Mortal Kombat X. The voice of Kevin Michael Richardson could be heard in the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie as Goro.
Speculation from RTF and fans has naturally gravitated toward Carpenter and McHale assuming types as the voices of Sonya Blade and Johnny Cage. No story details are rumored in the report, but with word there will be no tie-in comics for Mortal Kombat 11, it may be speculated the animated film bridges the gap from Mortal Kombat X to the new game, released April this year.
While it must be stressed this report addresses unsubstantiated rumor; an apparent upturn in production of animated features by Warner Brothers coincides with the recent launch of the DC Universe streaming service, and reported forecast of a new WarnerMedia platform, as well.
Mortal Kombat has gone animated before: In 2016, John Tobias unearthed a hand-painted character cel from the short-lived Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm cartoon. Warner Brothers also included the dubious stand-alone animated feature The Journey Begins with their blu-ray movie release.
Fans have been waiting for a theatrical return for Mortal Kombat pretty much since Annihilation disappointed 21 years ago. Producer James Wan brought new hope when he joined the project in 2015, but there've been few significant updates since 2016 reports a director was attached.
Fans may've been hoping the announcement of a Mortal Kombat 11 video game sequel might move things along, but it seems unlikely. The Aquaman director commented on the status of the MK movie during a junket for Warner Brother's latest superhero blockbuster, telling Heroic Hollywood that budget, and a drive to "do the film right", will take time.
Cinemassacre, the fine folks behind the popular Angry Video Game Nerd webseries, recently took a nostalgic look back at the sequel that was Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. The video is part of the Rental Reviews series and can be watched right below. Check it out:
Fandom reacted strongly to recent widespread rumors about the Mortal Kombat movie reboot, and its reported cast of characters. The outcry has drawn an equally strong response from those close to the project, with producer James Wan, and NetherRealm Creative Head Ed Boon, shooting down various reports.
Greg Russo is a writer currently tackling the next Mortal Kombat big screen reboot, but after a list of characters leaked, he's also been writing his fair share of rumor killing tweets!
The writer already addressed widespread rumors, shooting down their validity based on generations of the rewritten script, and inaccuracies in the original report. In his latest message to fans, Russo targeted two of the worrisome character changes since excised by the creative process.
Reports of a rumored character list for the next Mortal Kombat movie have had everybody talking, but the most important voice may be Greg Russo's.
The writer of the film took to Twitter to respond to concerns raised by the leaked information, clarifying that the list was based on an earlier version of the script, and only partially accurate.
A Mortal Kombat theatrical reboot has been in the works for much of the last decade, but the most recent phase only began in 2015, with news James Wan was attached to produce.
A first-time director soon followed, but substantial information has been scarce in the eighteen months since, leading to a smattering of conflicting rumors, misinformation, and unsubstantiated reports.
That Hashtag Show claims uncredited exclusive information from a new script by confirmed writer Greg Russo, who is also working on several other video game related projects, including: a Resident Evil reboot, and F.E.A.R. adaptation for Warner Digital's Machinima channel.
The story centers around a list of characters led by "Cole Turner" -- a Philadelphia boxer, and father, reportedly created to lead the movie.
If true: the new invention may be conceived as an entry point character, who will discover the Mortal Kombat universe as surrogate for the audience. With just a hint of Rocky to inform the concept, he may also provide the film a meaningful lead character to kill for a more bloodthirsty adaptation.
Mortal Kombat is still awaiting a feature film return to theatres, but after speculating late last year, we now know the release of Ready Player One has brought several of its iconic characters back to the big screen!
Mortal Kombat still has a while to go before it finds its way back to the big screen, but a teaser trailer for 2018 movie Ready Player One may have given fans something to get excited about! Watch the trailer below and see if you can spot which cameo got MK Online staff talking.
In 1995; Mortal Kombat was a surprise box office hit that reset expectations for movies based on a video game. Despite it success, it was far from perfect, as Honest Trailers points out in a two-for-one takedown that pairs it with the much maligned 1997 sequel: Annihilation! Watch below:
