Netflix might not be able to acquire the live-action rights to some of cinema’s biggest properties, but they’ve gone for the next best thing and scooped up the animated ones instead.
The streamer has either released or is working on a huge number of 2D projects based on recognizable brands including Pacific Rim, Tomb Raider, King Kong, Sonic the Hedgehog, Assassin’s Creed and more, while countless others have been rumored like Predator, Alien, Stargate, The Matrix, etc. Insider Daniel Richtman is the latest to chime in on the speculative side of things, with the tipster offering that Netflix are interested in an animated Mortal Kombat series.
Regardless of the veracity of the report, it’s hard to imagine Warner Bros. leasing out the rights to something as marketable as Mortal Kombat to a competitor. After all, the studio’s animation division is known for its high quality content, and already has a home on HBO Max. In the last few days alone, in fact, new shows for Batman and Superman have been announced, not to mention the upcoming Aquaman miniseries and the continued adventures of Harley Quinn.
The platform can’t rely on the DC library forever, though, and there’s definitely plenty of mileage in spinning off Mortal Kombat in multiple directions given the success and popularity among the fanbase of Simon McQuoid’s recent reboot. Animated companion shows appear to be all the rage these days, and while the long-running video game series is a prime candidate to get one, HBO Max would be a much more likely destination than Netflix despite how much money the latter could throw at it, given WarnerMedia’s desire to catch up in the streaming wars.
