See The New Mortal Kombat Movie Trailer
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Liu Kang reclaims his spot as Earthrealm’s greatest champion in Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms, an upcoming martial arts epic that retells the events of Mortal Kombat II in crisp, heart-pounding animation in the style of Justice Society: World War II and Batman: The Long Halloween.
Marvel at the trailer to Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms below:
Mortal Kombat Legends is a bald-faced adaptation of the Midway classic. It combines the premise of the first Mortal Kombat game with the outcome of the sequel. The first film, Scorpion’s Revenge, revisits the genesis of Hanzo Hasashi’s rage: his life, death, and eventual resurrection. It chronicles the first Mortal Kombat tournament hosted by Outworld sorcerer Shang Tsung and the death of the first Sub-Zero, Bi-Han, at Scorpion’s hand. Battle of the Realms continues the story of the original Mortal Kombat with the reintroduction of Liu Kang, a human flamethrower and the winner of the first two Mortal Kombat tournaments.
Scorpion and Sub-Zero may have defined the franchise going forward, but neither served as series protagonist. That distinction belonged to Liu Kang, a Shaolin monk who bested Outworld’s champion, Prince Goro, in the first game and returned to claim victory against Shao Kahn in the second. Battle of the Realms boldly adapts this storyline for screen, featuring canon hero Liu Kang in the role that solidified his rank among Mortal Kombat’s most formidable warriors — as the tournament’s undefeated champ and Outworld emperor Shao Kahn’s predestined equal.
In the film, Shao Kahn offers Lord Raiden an end to centuries of bloodshed: by staging one last Mortal Kombat with Earthrealm’s greatest champion competing. Liu Kang, the long-awaited child of prophecy, has grown into a fighting tour de force, mighty yet pure of heart, and openly accepts the challenge in defense of all the realms. Just like in the games, Shao Kahn redeems the fallen Shang Tsung, who lost to Liu Kang in the last tournament, and restores his power and youth; the two rekindle their rivalry in Battle of the Realms. They’re not the only ones repeating the past; in the trailer, Kuai Liang, the second Sub-Zero, can be seen fighting cyber Lin Kuei and swearing vengeance on Scorpion for the murder of his older brother, Bi-Han. Noob Saibot, Bi-Han’s more ruthless alter-ego, may feature in the movie as a surprise cameo.
Other fan-favorite Mortal Kombat characters — Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, Jax Briggs, Kitana, Mileena, Kung Lao, Stryker, Baraka, Smoke, Shinnok, and even newcomer D’Vorah — also appear. The tournament is set in Outworld instead of Earthrealm, same as in the games. In this year’s live-action Mortal Kombat, the lore was retconned to allow Cole Young (Lewis Tan) to become the child of fate, destined to bring peace to all the realms. The upcoming sequel to Scorpion’s Revenge is a heaven-sent return to form, restoring Liu Kang to the part he originated all the way back in 1992. It picks up shortly after the last movie.
Mortal Kombat: Battle of the Realms features the voice talents of Jordan Rodrigues as Liu Kang, Jennifer Carpenter as Sonya Blade, Joel McHale as Johnny Cage, Grey Griffin as Kitana and Mileena, Matthew Mercer as Smoke and Stryker, Debra Wilson as D’Vorah, Robin Atkin Downes as Shinnok, Fred Tatasciore as Shao Kahn, Emily O’Brien as Jade, Ike Amadi as Jax Briggs, Matthew Yang King as Kung Lao, Dave B. Mitchell as Lord Raiden, Kintaro, and Sektor, Artt Butler as Shang Tsung and Cyrax, Patrick Seitz as Scorpion/Hanzo Hasashi, and Bayardo De Murguia as Sub-Zero/Kuai Liang, with most of the surviving cast reprising their roles from the previous Mortal Kombat Legends, Scorpion’s Revenge. Battle of the Realms comes out on August 31.
