# Mortal Kombat (film series)

Mortal Kombat is an American series of martial arts action films based on the fighting video game series of the same name by Midway Games. The first film was produced by Lawrence Kasanoff’s Threshold Entertainment.
The first live-action film, Mortal Kombat, was released in 1995 and its sequel, Mortal Kombat Annihilation, was released in 1997. After the two films, game publisher Midway filed for bankruptcy. Warner Bros., having become the parent of New Line Cinema in 2008 (after over a decade of both operating as separate divisions of Time Warner), made a bid to purchase most of Midway's assets, including Mortal Kombat. In June 2009, Kasanoff and Threshold sued in bankruptcy court, arguing that they owned the copyright to many of the characters from the series.
On July 1, 2009, the bankruptcy court approved the sale of most of Midway's assets to Warner Bros. subject to the intellectual property claims of Threshold Entertainment. After years of development hell, a reboot of the series was released in April 2021.

## Films
### Animated

| Film | U.S. release date | Director(s) | Screenwriter(s) | Producer(s) |
| Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins | April 11, 1995 | Joseph Francis | Kevin Droney | Alison Savitch & Lawrence Kasanoff |
| Mortal Kombat Legends series |||||
| Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge | April 14, 2020 | Ethan Spaulding | Jeremy Adams | Rick Morales |
| Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms | August 31, 2021 | Ethan Spaulding | Jeremy Adams | Jim Krieg & Rick Morales |
| Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind | October 11, 2022 | Rick Morales | Jeremy Adams | Jim Krieg |
| Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match | October 17, 2023 | Ethan Spaulding | Jeremy Adams | Jim Krieg |
| Mortal Kombat Legends: Fall of Edenia | TBA | Rick Morales | Jeremy Adams |

#### Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins (1995)

On April 11, 1995, New Line Home Video, Turner Home Entertainment and Threshold Entertainment released a tie-in animated film on VHS and Laserdisc, titled Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins. Serving as a prequel to the in-development 1995 feature film, it follows the protagonists Liu Kang, Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade as they travel on a mysterious boat to the Mortal Kombat tournament. On the way they meet Raiden, who provides them with some hints about how to survive the tournament and defeat Shang Tsung and his army of Tarkatan minions. Upon arriving at the island where the battles takes place, Raiden retells the origins of Shang Tsung, Goro, Scorpion, Sub-Zero and the Great Kung Lao in between fight scenes.
The film featured a combination of traditional animation, motion capture, and CGI to explain the origins behind some of the movie's main characters, as well as a fifteen-minute behind-the-scenes documentary of the theatrical release. Trailers of the film were seen on the promotional screener VHS copy, and on other VHS releases from Turner Home Entertainment and New Line Home Video. The film was included on the Mortal Kombat Blu-ray released in April 2011.

##### Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge (2020)

A direct-to-video animated film called Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge was released by Warner Bros. Animation on digital April 14, 2020, and on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on April 28. The film is directed by Ethan Spaulding and written by Jeremy Adams. The voice cast includes Patrick Seitz as Scorpion, Steve Blum as Sub-Zero, Darin De Paul as Quan Chi, Jordan Rodrigues as Liu Kang, Joel McHale as Johnny Cage, & Jennifer Carpenter as Sonya Blade. Kevin Michael Richardson also reprises his role of Goro from the 1995 live action film. The film's premise centers around Scorpion seeking revenge on those who murdered his family and clan, after being resurrected by Quan Chi, while Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, and Sonya Blade are chosen to participate in the Mortal Kombat tournament to save Earthrealm from Outworld.

##### Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms (2021)

A sequel, entitled Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms, with most of the cast and crew from Scorpion's Revenge, was released on August 31, 2021.

##### Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match (2023)

In an interview in October 2022, Jeremy Adams revealed that he is writing the 4th Mortal Kombat Legends film. It serves as a prequel to Scorpion's Revenge.

##### Mortal Kombat Legends: Fall of Edenia (TBA)
### Live-action

| Film | U.S. release date | Director(s) | Screenwriter(s) | Story by | Producer(s) |
| Original series ||||||
| Mortal Kombat | August 18, 1995 | Paul W. S. Anderson | Kevin Droney | Kevin Droney | Lawrence Kasanoff |
| Mortal Kombat Annihilation | November 21, 1997 | John R. Leonetti | Bryce Zabel & Brent V. Friedman | John Tobias, Joshua Wexler & Lawrence Kasanoff | Lawrence Kasanoff |
| Reboot series ||||||
| Mortal Kombat | April 23, 2021 | Simon McQuoid | Greg Russo & David Callaham | Greg Russo & Oren Uziel | James Wan, Todd Garner, Simon McQuoid & E. Bennett Walsh |
| Mortal Kombat 2 | October 24, 2025 | Simon McQuoid | Jeremy Slater | Jeremy Slater | Todd Garner, James Wan, Simon McQuoid, E. Bennett Walsh & Toby Emmerich |

#### Mortal Kombat (1995)

Three unknown martial artists are summoned to a mysterious island to compete in a tournament whose outcome will decide the fate of the world.

#### Mortal Kombat Annihilation (1997)

A group of martial arts warriors have only six days to save the Earth from an extra-dimensional invasion.

#### Mortal Kombat (2021)

A washed-up mixed martial arts fighter named Cole Young is unaware of his hidden lineage or why Lin Kuei assassin Sub-Zero is hunting him down. Concerned for the safety of his family, he seeks out a clique of fighters that were chosen to defend Earthrealm against Outworld.

#### Mortal Kombat 2 (2025)
## Cast and crew
### Recurring cast and characters

This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in more than two films in the series.
* An empty grey cell indicates the character was not in the film, or that the character's official presence has not yet been confirmed.
* $^A$ indicates an appearance through archival footage or audio.
* $^U$ indicates an uncredited appearance.
* $^V$ indicates a voice-only role.
| Characters | Characters | Animated films | Animated films | Animated films | Animated films | Animated films | Live-action films | Live-action films | Live-action films | Live-action films |
| Characters | Characters | Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins | Mortal Kombat Legends | Mortal Kombat Legends | Mortal Kombat Legends | Mortal Kombat Legends | Mortal Kombat | Mortal Kombat Annihilation | Mortal Kombat | Mortal Kombat 2 |
| Characters | Characters | Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins | Scorpion's Revenge | Battle of the Realms | Snow Blind | Cage Match | Mortal Kombat | Mortal Kombat Annihilation | Mortal Kombat | Mortal Kombat 2 |
| Characters | Characters | 1995 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 1995 | 1997 | 2021 | 2025 |
| Liu Kang | Liu Kang | Randy Hamilton | Jordan Rodrigues | Jordan Rodrigues | Statue | | Robin Shou | Robin Shou | Ludi Lin | Ludi Lin |
| Sonya Blade | Sonya Blade | Jennifer Hale | Jennifer Carpenter | Jennifer Carpenter | | | Bridgette Wilson | Sandra Hess | Jessica McNamee | Jessica McNamee |
| Johnny Cage | Johnny Cage | Jeff Glen Bennett | Joel McHale | Joel McHale | | Joel McHale | Linden Ashby | Chris Conrad | Pictured | Karl Urban |
| Raiden | Raiden | Ron A. Feinberg | Dave B. Mitchell | Dave B. Mitchell | Pictured | Dave B. Mitchell | Christopher Lambert | James Remar | Tadanobu Asano | Tadanobu Asano |
| Hanzo Hasashi Scorpion | Hanzo Hasashi Scorpion | Ed Boon | Patrick Seitz | Patrick Seitz | Patrick Seitz | | Chris Casamassa | J. J. Perry | Hiroyuki Sanada | Hiroyuki Sanada |
| Hanzo Hasashi Scorpion | Hanzo Hasashi Scorpion | Ed Boon | Patrick Seitz | Patrick Seitz | Patrick Seitz | | Ed Boon | Ed Boon | Hiroyuki Sanada | Hiroyuki Sanada |
| Kuai Liang | Sub-Zero | Jim Cummings | | Bayardo De Murguia | Ron Yuan | | | Keith Cooke | | |
| Bi-Han | Sub-Zero | Jim Cummings | Steve Blum | | | | François Petit | | Joe Taslim | Joe Taslim |
| Shang Tsung | Shang Tsung | Jim Cummings | Artt Butler | Artt Butler | Artt Butler | | Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa | Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa | Chin Han | Chin Han |
| Goro | Goro | Ron A. Feinberg | Kevin Michael Richardson | | | | Tom Woodruff Jr. | | Angus Sampson | |
| Goro | Goro | Ron A. Feinberg | Kevin Michael Richardson | | | | Kevin Michael Richardson | | Angus Sampson | |
| Goro | Goro | Ron A. Feinberg | Kevin Michael Richardson | | | | Frank Welker | | Angus Sampson | |
| Kitana | Kitana | | Grey DeLisle | Grey DeLisle | | | Talisa Soto | Talisa Soto | | Adeline Rudolph |
| Jax | Jax | | Ike Amadi | Ike Amadi | | | Gregory McKinney | Lynn Red Williams | Mehcad Brooks | Mehcad Brooks |
| Shao Kahn | Shao Kahn | | Fred Tatasciore | Fred Tatasciore | | | Frank Welker | Brian Thompson | Pictured | Martyn Ford |
| Shinnok | Shinnok | | Robin Atkin Downes | Robin Atkin Downes | | Robin Atkin Downes | | Reiner Schöne | Pictured | |
| Quan Chi | Quan Chi | | Darin De Paul | | | | | | | Damon Herriman |
| Kano | Kano | | Robin Atkin Downes | | David Wenham | | Trevor Goddard | | Josh Lawson | Josh Lawson |
| Kung Lao | Kung Lao | Appeared | | Matt Yang King | | | | | Max Huang | Max Huang |
| Jade | Jade | | | Emily O'Brien | | | Deleted scene | Irina Pantaeva | | Tati Gabrielle |
| Cyrax | Cyrax | | | Artt Butler | | | | J. J. Perry | | |
| Smoke | Smoke | | | Matthew Mercer | | | | Ridley Tsui | | |
| Reiko | Reiko | | | Robin Atkin Downes | | | | | Nathan Jones | |
| Kabal | Kabal | | | | Keith Silverstein | | | | Daniel Nelson | |
| Kabal | Kabal | | | | Keith Silverstein | | | | Damon Herriman | |
| Reptile | Reptile | | Appeared | | | | Keith Cooke | Keith Cooke | CGI | |
| Reptile | Reptile | | Appeared | | | | Frank Welker | Keith Cooke | CGI | |
| Chan Kang | Chan Kang | | | | | | Steven Ho | Steven Ho | | |
| Sindel | Sindel | | | | | | | Musetta Vander | | Ana Thu Nguyen |
| Mileena | Mileena | | | | | | | Dana Hee | Sisi Stringer | |
| Baraka | Baraka | | | | | | | Dennis Keiffer | | C.J Bloomfield |
| Cole Young | Cole Young | | | | | | | | Lewis Tan | Lewis Tan |

### Crew

| Occupation | Film | Film | Film | Film |
| Occupation | Mortal Kombat | Mortal Kombat Annihilation | Mortal Kombat | Mortal Kombat 2 |
| Director(s) | Paul W. S. Anderson | John R. Leonetti | Simon McQuoid | Simon McQuoid |
| Producer | Lawrence Kasanoff | Lawrence Kasanoff | James Wan Todd Garner Simon McQuoid E. Bennett Walsh | James Wan Todd Garner Toby Emmerich E. Bennett Walsh Simon McQuoid |
| Writer(s) | Kevin Droney | Screenplay by Bryce Zabel Brent V. Friedman Story by John Tobias Joshua Wexler Lawrence Kasanoff | Screenplay by Greg Russo David Callaham Story by Greg Russo Oren Uziel | Jeremy Slater |
| Composer | George S. Clinton | George S. Clinton | Benjamin Wallfisch | Benjamin Wallfisch |
| Director(s) of photography | John R. Leonetti | Matthew F. Leonetti | Germain McMicking | Stephen F. Windon |
| Editor(s) | Martin Hunter | Peck Prior | Scott Gray Dan Lebental | Stuart Levy |
| Production company(s) | Threshold Entertainment | Threshold Entertainment | New Line Cinema Atomic Monster Broken Road Productions | New Line Cinema Atomic Monster Broken Road Productions Fireside Films |
| Distributor(s) | New Line Cinema | New Line Cinema | Warner Bros. Pictures | Warner Bros. Pictures |

## Reception
### Box office performance

| Film | U.S. release date | Box office revenue | Box office revenue | Box office revenue | Budget | Reference |
| Film | U.S. release date | United States | International | Worldwide | Budget | Reference |
| Original series |||||||
| Mortal Kombat | August 18, 1995 (1995-8-18) | $73,000,000 | $51,741,822 | $122,195,920 | $18 million | |
| Mortal Kombat Annihilation | November 21, 1997 | $35,927,406 | $15,449,455 | $51,376,861 | $30 million | |
| Reboot series |||||||
| Mortal Kombat | April 23, 2021 | $42,201,013 | $41,400,000 | $83,601,013 | $55 million | |
| Total | Total | $117,957,406 | $86,391,277 | $204,348,683 | $103 million | |

### Critical and public response

| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | CinemaScore |
| Mortal Kombat | 45% (44 reviews) | 60 (13 reviews) | A– |
| Mortal Kombat Annihilation | 4% (50 reviews) | 11 (12 reviews) | C+ |
| Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge | 90% (21 reviews) | | |
| Mortal Kombat | 54% (292 reviews) | 44 (43 reviews) | B+ |
| Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms | 50% (6 reviews) | | |

## Music

| Title | U.S. release date | Length | Performed by | Label |
| Mortal Kombat: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | August 15, 1995 | 68:28 | Various Artists | TVT |
| Mortal Kombat: Original Motion Picture Score | October 11, 1995 | 42:01 | George S. Clinton | Rykodisc |
| Mortal Kombat Annihilation: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | October 28, 1997 | 72:08 | Various Artists | TVT |
| Mortal Kombat: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | April 16, 2021 | 79:37 | Benjamin Wallfisch | WaterTower Music |

## Novelizations

A novelization of the first movie by "Martin Delrio" (James D. Macdonald and Debra Doyle) was released through Tor Books. It is based on an early version of the film's script, and as such it includes several deleted or unfilmed scenes, such as a fight between Sonya Blade and Jade.