Watch the First Seven Minutes of “Mortal Kombat”
For those of you who are eager to see director Simon McQuoid’s Mortal Kombat reboot, you’re in luck. HBO Max has just released the first seven minutes, which are centered on one of the most beloved characters from the video game franchise and the 1995 feature film adaptation, Scorpion. McQuoid managed a major casting coup when he landed Hiroyuki Sanada in the role. Sanada’s been stealing scenes for years now, in everything from HBO’s Westworld to his brief but potent cameo in Avengers: Endgame. Here, playing Hanzo Hasashi (Scorpion to you and me), we see how his life is forever altered when his compound is attacked by a few would-be assassins. You wanted the origin of Scorpion’s iconic “Get over here!” and now you’re getting the origin of Scorpion’s iconic “Get over here!” Happy Tuesday.
Scorpion won’t be the only fan favorite on hand, of course. Mortal Kombat features pretty everyone you loved playing as (or against)—Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim), Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), Jax (Mehcad Brooks), Raiden (Tadanobu Asano), Kano (Josh Lawson), Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), Kung Lao (Max Huang), and Goro (Angus Sampson). The action here looks as brutal as the original game, and the cast is as international as the characters are (to be fair, many of the characters are otherworldly, but still). The opening minutes showcase not only Sanada’s deft physicality but a snapshot of the practical stunts and expert fight choreography that’ll be on display.
McQuoid directs from a script by Greg Russo and Wonder Woman 1984 scribe Dave Callaham. Check out the first seven minutes below. Mortal Kombat hits theaters and HBO Max on April 23.
Here’s the synopsis from Warner Bros:
In “Mortal Kombat,” MMA fighter Cole Young, accustomed to taking a beating for money, is unaware of his heritage—or why Outworld’s Emperor Shang Tsung has sent his best warrior, Sub-Zero, an otherworldly Cryomancer, to hunt Cole down. Fearing for his family’s safety, Cole goes in search of Sonya Blade at the direction of Jax, a Special Forces Major who bears the same strange dragon marking Cole was born with. Soon, he finds himself at the temple of Lord Raiden, an Elder God and the protector of Earthrealm, who grants sanctuary to those who bear the mark. Here, Cole trains with experienced warriors Liu Kang, Kung Lao and rogue mercenary Kano, as he prepares to stand with Earth’s greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe. But will Cole be pushed hard enough to unlock his arcana—the immense power from within his soul—in time to save not only his family, but to stop Outworld once and for all?
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Featured image: Caption: (L-r) HIROYUKI SANADA as Scorpion/Hanzo Hasashi and JOE TASLIM as Sub-Zero/Bi-Han in New Line Cinema’s action adventure “Mortal Kombat,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
