The new Mortal Kombat movie adaptation is coming soon and it looks like the reboot is worth all the hype. New details about the upcoming adaptation of the popular video game franchise reveal that the opening sequence will involve a bloody 10-minute fight sequence between arch-enemies Scorpion and Sub-Zero.
Gamers who have played Mortal Kombat are well aware of the feud between Scorpion and Sub-Zero. After all, the mutual hatred between the two ninjas is already part of the video games' lore. Interestingly, their story arc has changed in the previous film adaptations so it's no surprise that the upcoming reboot is offering a fresh take on why the two characters hate each other so much in the first place.
Entertainment Weekly has just published the first photos from the Mortal Kombat reboot and it includes interview snippets with director Simon McQuoid and lead star Lewis Tan. Interestingly, one of the images features Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada) and Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim) in a tense fight but without their trademark costumes.
So why do Scorpion and Sub-Zero look so different in the Mortal Kombat reboot photos? One of the interesting details featured in the report reveals that the movie will kick off with a brutal 10-minute fight sequence involving the clans of Hanzo Hasashi and Bi-Han before they became Scorpion and Sub-Zero, respectively. The scene, which is set in feudal Japan, ends with "a pretty nasty hand-to-hand combat" between the characters, which could be what is featured in the photo.
The report also suggests that the blood feud between Scorpion and Sub-Zero will be one of the main plot points in the Mortal Kombat film. At one point, director Simon McQuoid confirmed that Scorpion's trademark weapon, the kunai blade, lies at the center of the film's "blood universe." In addition to that, McQuoid emphasized that the story of Hanzo Hasashi and Bi-Han "needed to be told within the fight."
(2/3) pic.twitter.com/zayObIvsI8 — Mortal Kombat Movie (@MKMovie) January 15, 2021
Although Scorpion and Sub-Zero are undoubtedly major characters in the Mortal Kombat film, the true star of the movie is Lewis Tan's Cole Young, who is a "wholly new character to the Mortal Kombat world." Even though the movie kicks off with an epic flashback, the present-day storyline will follow Cole as he is recruited to work with Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano).
Mortal Kombat is directed by Simon McQuoid. It is scheduled for release in limited theaters and on HBO Max on April 16, 2021.
