Warner Bros. Sets Release Date for ‘Mortal Kombat’ Movie Reboot

A shot at redemption?

After countless (failed) attempts at a revival, Warner Bros. is finally moving forward with a reboot of the objectively bad Mortal Kombat film(s.)

According to Variety, the studio’s set a March 5, 2021 release date with production beginning this month in Australia. James Wan (Saw, Aquaman, The Conjuring) is set to produce, while Simon McQuoid is headed to the director’s chair for his feature film debut.

WATCH: Jax’s Mortal Kombat 11 Ending Finds Him Undoing Slavery, Fans Are Calling It “Racist”

The original Mortal Kombat movie was adapted solely on the strength of the video game’s popularity, but was generally panned by critics upon release in 1995. It did, however, go on to become something of a cult smash, pulling in $120 million at the box office. The sequel, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, was released in 1997, but barely broke the $50 million mark. It is widely acknowledged as history’s worst use of a $30 million budget.

READ: Jax’s Divisive Mortal Kombat 11 Ending Shows That The Gaming Community Still Has A Racism Problem

On the console side, the video game franchise’s latest installment, Mortal Kombat 11, has been generally well-received, though, at the very least, touched by controversy. A character ending sparked a heated debate over the gaming community’s unchecked racism. Reddit users found themselves fundamentally divided over whether it was racist to erase the African slave trade in a video game. No word on how Wan and McQuiod will navigate that story arch.