New Line has that retro vibe about them, as they look to bring Mortal Kombat back from the dead. Yep, another reboot is on its way! THR reports that the video game adaptation that spawned two movies and two television spinoffs is speaking with Simon McQuoid to direct the feature. Something that is an out-of-the-box choice with his best credits coming from working with Nissan, Samsung and HP, as opposed to other movies.
Yet this would not be the first time the franchise has opted for a left-of-centre candidate, with Paul W.S. Anderson being a relative unknown in the 1995 original. He would go on to be a success with the Resident Evil series and has been a mainstream player ever since.
95 Flick Broke A Strong Hollywood Taboo
For all the derision and scorn heaped on New Line at the time, they were the studio that put their necks on the line some 21 years ago. No one thought it was plausible to adapt a video game into a cinematic production and whilst it was not exactly a favorite for critics or the general moviegoer, it did feed an appetite that was out there to see these beloved characters finally jump out of the console and onto the big screen.
Gizmodo reports that the upcoming reboot has another boost by securing James Wan as a producer. His CV is an impressive read, including the likes of The Conjuring, Furious 7 and Aquaman as he looks to link up with the Australian whose diverse background revolves around PlayStation, Halo, Range Rover and Beats by Dre.
MK Still Reeling From 1997 Sequel
No one is hiding from the fact the 1995 original adaptation didn't convince the general public, only managing 34% on Rotten Tomatoes. But with $122.1m at the box office from a small budget of $18m, clearly there were enough gamers out there eager to see it happen.
Then the 1997 sequel Mortal Kombat Annihilation came to town and that made the first of the series look like The Godfather. Sitting on a rating of 3% with Rotten Tomatoes, many of the cast from the first decided to stay at home and they were wise to do so. McQuoid has quite the task ahead of him.
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