Mortal Kombat

Mortal Kombat is an American martial arts fantasy action-adventure film, based on the popular video game series created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. Serving as a reboot, it marks the third installment in the Mortal Kombat film series.

Directed by Simon McQuoid in his directorial debut, the film features a screenplay by Greg Russo and Dave Callaham. The film stars Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Tadanobu Asano, Mehcad Brooks, Ludi Lin, Chin Han, Max Huang, Joe Taslim, and Hiroyuki Sanada.

After the critical and commercial failure of Mortal Kombat Annihilation (1997), plans for a third Mortal Kombat film remained stuck in development for nearly two decades. In late 2010, Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema took steps to revive the franchise, bringing in Kevin Tancharoen to direct a new film based on a script by Oren Uziel, following the success of their short film Mortal Kombat: Rebirth (2010). In August 2015, James Wan joined as a producer, and by November 2016, Simon McQuoid was officially hired as the director.

Filming took place at Adelaide Studios and various locations across South Australia, running from September 16 to December 13, 2019. The movie was filmed using ARRI ALEXA LF and Mini LF cameras paired with Panavision Anamorphic lenses.

Upon its initial submission to the MPAA, the film received an NC-17 rating due to its intense violence. To secure a commercially viable R-rating, director Simon McQuoid brought in an additional editor to trim some of the more graphic fight sequences. Interestingly, the 1995 Mortal Kombat film was originally written as an R-rated movie, but the studio mandated rewrites to achieve a more marketable PG-13 rating.

For an Outworld setting and battle scene, the filmmakers chose Black Hill Quarry, a black granite quarry located in the town of Black Hill, about 112 kilometers from Adelaide. Director Simon McQuoid reflected on the experience, stating, “No one wants to shoot at the bottom of a disused coal mine, but when you use these stunning Ultra Vista lenses and place incredible actors in their detailed costumes, the location transforms into another world.”

Mortal Komba grossed over $84 million against a $55 million production budget and became HBO Max’s most successful film launch to date. It grossed $42.3 million in the United States and Canada, and $42.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $84.4 million.

The sequel, Mortal Kombat 2, is set to hit theaters on October 24, 2025. Jeremy Slater will handle the screenplay, while Simon McQuoid returns to direct.