It’s been a long time coming, but the first trailer for the Mortal Kombat reboot finally arrived yesterday, and looking at the early reactions from the fanbase, things are shaping up pretty nicely for the martial arts fantasy actioner.
We’re less than two months away from the franchise’s first theatrical release since 1997’s dismal Annihilation, and based on nothing but the footage in the promo, Simon McQuoid’s feature debut is set to deliver the goods in a big way. It might not hold much appeal to those that don’t have a vested interest in the source material, but it looks like an ass-kickingly good time nonetheless.
The trailer struck the right balance between treating the video game property with respect and embracing the ridiculousness of the premise, because leaning too far in either direction could ultimately end up hurting the final product. It went down very well online, too, and producer Todd Garner took to social media shortly after Mortal Kombat was revealed in all of its glory and admitted that the overwhelmingly enthusiastic response had left him in tears.
MK fans. I’m watching your reactions to the trailer & I’m in tears. Sometimes fans forget that there are humans behind these movies & I personally had to be away from my family for almost 5 months to work on this. Your smiles & gasps have made it all worth it today. Thank you!
— Todd Garner (@Todd_Garner) February 18, 2021
Of course, it’s hardly been an easy road to the big screen for Mortal Kombat, which wrapped shooting back in December 2019. The project was pulled from the release calendar entirely as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, and stayed in that holding pattern for months until it was announced that Warner Bros.’ entire slate of 2021 movies were debuting simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max.
If anything, with the pressures of having to deliver at the box office being significantly eased by the studio’s streaming service, should Mortal Kombat live up to the promise shown in the trailer, a multi-film series is looking very likely.
