If you had any concerns that the upcoming Warner Bros. reboot of Mortal Kombat would censor the series’ trademark indulgent violence, there’s absolutely no need to be worried.
Actor Lewis Tan, who stars in the film, has revealed to the folks over at ComicBook.com in a recent interview that the movie intends to be every bit as gruesome as the games on which it’s based. In reference to the live-action adaptation’s use of Fatalities – a feature previously confirmed by writer and producer duo Greg Russo and Todd Garner – Tan recounts how there were numerous days on set where he’d feel physically sick from the level of violence on display.
Let me just say this, there were some days on set that I felt sick. I’m not kidding. They did not… They did not hold back.
Going as far back as the original Mortal Kombat released in 1992, Fatalities have been a cornerstone and immediately recognizable feature of the series in almost every installment since, with those found in last year’s Mortal Kombat 11 being some of the most brutal to date. Tan certainly isn’t the only individual involved with the franchise to have suffered discomfort from its depictions of violence, either. Last year, it emerged that various members of the MK 11 development team had reportedly been diagnosed with a form of PTSD as a result of repeated exposure to graphic content.
As for the reboot’s Fatalities, Russo tells ComicBook.com that many of those in the movie have been lifted directly from the games and that, while they’ll “feel awesome and badass,” filmmakers have taken steps to ensure that they’re not “just in there just to be in there,” and will have a point to the story.
Mortal Kombat is scheduled to release in theatres on January 15th, 2021, though it remains to be seen if this date will be adhered to in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
