Rewind
Mortal Kombat (1995)
Released in 1995, Mortal Kombat is one of the most iconic video game adaptations ever to hit the silver screen. Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson (Event Horizon / Resident Evil), the film took the intense, brutal action of the beloved 1992 fighting game and brought it to life in a visually captivating and action-packed experience. With a mix of martial arts, supernatural elements, and memorable characters, Mortal Kombat became a cult classic, defining the genre for years to come. The film was followed by a 1997 sequel, Mortal Kombat Annihilation, along with two television series: the animated sequel Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm (1996) and the live-action prequel Mortal Kombat: Conquest (1998–1999). The follow-ups were unable to match the original film’s success, and the series was rebooted with a 2021 film with a sequel to the reboot scheduled for October 2025.
At its core, Mortal Kombat is centered around a mystical martial arts tournament held every generation to determine the fate of Earthrealm. The evil sorcerer Shang Tsung (played by Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) seeks to conquer Earthrealm by winning the tournament, while Earth’s champions, including Liu Kang (Robin Shou), Johnny Cage (Linden Ashby), and Sonya Blade (Bridgette Wilson), must stop him. The stakes are high, as Earth faces destruction if they fail to win the tournament. The film is a race against time as these heroes face formidable opponents in a series of epic battles.
Liu Kang, a skilled martial artist seeking redemption for his brother’s death, is the central protagonist, chosen to represent Earthrealm in the tournament. Alongside him, Johnny Cage, a Hollywood action star seeking to prove his real fighting abilities, and Sonya Blade, a determined special forces officer, form a team to battle against Shang Tsung’s dark forces. Rounding out the group is the mysterious and powerful warrior, Raiden (Christopher Lambert), who serves as the protector of Earthrealm and the tournament’s guardian.
Production: While Mortal Kombat II (The Game) was in the playtest phase and the original Mortal Kombat had still only been released in arcades, not for home consoles, movie producer Lawrence Kasanoff visited some friends at the game’s publisher, Midway Games, and played a Mortal Kombat unit that was in their offices. He saw cinematic possibilities in the concept and expressed interest in making a film based on the game, but Midway head Neil D. Nicastro disagreed that the game could be a successful film, particularly given the failure of past movie adaptations of video games. After months of negotiations, Kasanoff finally acquired a limited option on the Mortal Kombat film rights.
Among those who auditioned for the role of Liu Kang were Jason Scott Lee (Dragon) and Ernie Reyes Jr (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) was at one point considered for the role. A relative unknown, Robin Shou, was cast as the film’s lead character. Sharon Stone, Christina Applegate and Dina Meyer were originally considered for the role of Sonya Blade. Cameron Diaz was originally cast as Sonya Blade, but dropped out due to a wrist injury and was replaced by Bridgette Wilson. Wilson had accepted a role in Billy Madison after being passed up in the Mortal Kombat auditions in favor of Diaz, and so had to fly out to the set the morning after her last day filming Billy Madison. Jean-Claude Van Damme, whose performance in Bloodsport inspired the game character “Johnny Cage”, was offered the part but turned it down due to being busy filming Street Fighter. Linden Ashby got the role in part due to his past martial arts experiences, having trained in karate and taekwondo. Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp and Gary Daniels were also considered for the role. The role of Rayden was first offered to Sean Connery, who turned it down because he didn’t want to perform a physically demanding role. Danny Glover was also considered.
To date, Mortal Kombat (1995) stands as one of the best video game adaptions ever made. With the new sequel to the 2021 reboot on the schedule for October – what better time to rewind to the original
(Now, scream it with me…)
MOR TAL KOM BAT!!!
