Mortal Kombat trailer: First-look at reboot pulls off a flawless victory

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

After releasing a series of character motion posters yesterday, the first trailer for the rebooted Mortal Kombat has arrived and it looks like it's going to be an R-rated dream for fans of the video game as the trailer arrives in all its red-band restricted glory.

The new Mortal Kombat is set to debut in theaters and on HBO MAX on April 16, 2021, and it features a cast of fighters ready to engage in bloody fatalities. The cast includes Mehcad Brooks as Jackson "Jax" Briggs, Chin Han as Shang Tsung, Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion, Joe Taslim as Sub-Zero, Tadanobu Asano as Raiden, Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Sisi Stringer as Mileena, Josh Lawson as Kano, Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Max Huang as Kung Lao Max, and Lewis Tan as an all-new character, Cole Young. You can read the official synopsis for the film below:

"From New Line Cinema comes the explosive new cinematic adventure “Mortal Kombat,” inspired by the blockbuster video game franchise, which most recently enjoyed the most successful video game launch in its history, Mortal Kombat 11. The film is helmed by award-winning Australian commercial filmmaker Simon McQuoid, marking his feature directorial debut, and produced by James Wan (“The Conjuring” universe films, “Aquaman,”), Todd Garner (“Into the Storm,” “Tag”), McQuoid and E. Bennett Walsh (“Men in Black: International,” “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”). 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?'

The Mortal Kombat reboot is going to be very different from the 1995 adaptation by going with an R-rating, details that made fans very happy. The film is directed by Simon McQuoid and is produced by James Wan and Todd Garner. This new take seems more in line with what Mortal Kombat fans would expect from a true film adaptation but the 1995 film still does hold a special place in people's hearts more than 25 years after its release. It is cool to see some of these characters that have been popular across all the games look pretty authentic to their video game look and seeing the trailer did unleash a bit of the kid in me that used to love this game.

Did YOU like the trailer? Mortal Kombat hits screens and HBO Max on April 16, 2021. Check out the new poster for the film below!