Mortal Kombat for me is the greatest videogame and videogame franchise. That being said, I love the original film and not the second. Mortal Kombat: Rebirth is nothing but a Mortal Kombat wannabe. The web series ain't too bad but they could at least learn how to pronunciate the words. That being said. I am doing this into different sections so it isn't confusing also cause again, I'm not able to put up my script I worked so hard on because Microsoft word isn't letting me finish it. Here is what I had envisioned for a Mortal Kombat trilogy.
Tone: Harry Potter like fantasy but real dark and gritty. This would be a very R rated Mortal Kombat film.
Introduction: This would be a voice over from Raiden. This is where we would be learning of the Mortal Kombat tournament. The origin, it's sole purpose and the premise of the film. We also get to see the very battle that took place. The war that the once Elder God, Shinnok had started so he could have Earthrealm. It is very bloody and grotesque. It would end with a bloody, bone breaking battle between Raiden and Shinnok. Ending with the Elder Gods casting Shinnok into the NetherRealm (if you have played the games, I will not go into the creation of the realms with the Kamidogu cause it seemed a bit too over the top).
Character portrayals: (Warning, I did change and add certain things for certain characters to add more depth and flavor to them) Lui Kang and Kung Lao are the same as their game counterparts for the most part. But, I have Kung Lao a little bit more on edge and more violent. I have a backstory for them. They were friends since childhood, raised and trained together by Master Bo' Rai Cho. Their sole purpose was to defend Earthrealm in the Mortal Kombat tournament. This would build a "competition" and bitterness between Lui and Kung Lao. More so for Kung Lao. Johnny Cage would be the same cocky, hollywood star that he is but is out of a job and lost his way and is approached by Shang Tsung to compete in the Mortal Kombat tournament to prove he isn't a fake. Raiden is a slightly trickier character. He is still Raiden but, I wanted him to be a yoda-esque type character. He would be a major chess piece to move the story but, I wanted him to have that "yoda" type pressence.
Sonya and Jax are introduced in the first action scene of the film, chasing down Kano in a local abandoned warehouse. This would lead into a fight between Kano and Jax. Sonya would be the reason Kano losses half of his face due to using a knife from behind to try and cut his face off, but she was proven unsuccessful. Kano would then activate a bomb that would destroy the building and would be the cause of Jax's arms being replaced due to his bones being pretty much dust. I put a little bit more flavor into the Jax and Sonya Storyline to make it feel as brutal and violent as it is. Not only did I have Jax kill Sonya's partner but I also had him rape her (it is told, not seen). I figured this would be a great way to really show the hatred she has for him. Kabal also has a very brief part in this scene.
Sub-Zero and Scorpion was one I had inspiration from both the new game and the webseries while I knew the real cause behind the blood fued between the two. I didn't really change too much. I had his wife froze to death then hung onto a pillar and I had his son's throat slit by a ice blade then had him frozen to the stairs on the outside. I had Hanzo Hasashi be killed by his throat being crushed and an ice blade pierced through his body. How he got his spear was pretty easy for me. I just took and made it part of him once he was ressurected by Quan Chi (who makes a couple small appearances but you only really see him in the backstory). Sektor and Cyrax are in it for a little bit. I wanted to introduce the side story for the Lin Keui Cyber Inititive and leave it open for the sequel. Also, we see have a scene where we get to see what the Lin Keui are doing on the island.
The big bad guys (continuation from character portrayals): I wanted the main basis for the character of Shang Tsung to be mostly as he is in the original game. But, even though he is the "main villain" of the first one. I wanted to introduce Shao Kahn early in the film (he is only known as Emperor in the film) so the audience would know there is a bigger character behind all of it. Shang Tsung would still be the sleezy sorcerer in the film as he is in the game. Reptile and Baraka are also in the film. Baraka is shown wearing more of a generals sort of attire. They obviously do have battles in the film (I won't say which characters live and die). They are pretty much the same as they are in the games. But, I have Shao Kahn send them to go with Shang Tsung to make sure he don't mess up and don't try pulling a fast one. Goro has a "pretty" introduction. I have him battling an unknown combatant and I have Goro bend him in half. Blood spewing everywhere and his intestines literally seen falling out.
Settings: I was thinking of where to put the film. I figured I'd keep it on the island but have certain arenas make appearances. The most notable being the pit. I also have Shang Tsungs throne room in the film. Shao Kahn's throne room also has a brief appearance at the beginning. This is something I really didn't wanna change. While character change is something that is normally done in a film adaptation, I did not want to mess with the arenas. Make some small changes to make them come off more interesting but nothing major.
I know this sounds more substance than story but, stick with me for a bit longer.
The tournament is a character
What do I mean by the tournament is a character? It's pretty simple. People know it's Mortal Kombat. They know who the characters are and what happens. But, alot of people don't know the "origin" of the character. So, pretty much. Although this film is about the warriors of earthrealm going against the forces of Outworld. It's still a story about the tournament and we learn about it as if it were a character. If you don't flesh out the characters, you have a pretty flat film. This would be a chance to show that Mortal Kombat isn't about ripping another persons head off. That it does have a story and does have character development.
Do you see the big picture? Do you see what I've been playing in my head? If not. Here is "It's our fight" from the Transformers: Dark of the Moon score. It's Steve Jablonsky (who is my favorite film composer) and I would love for him to score a Mortal Kombat film.
Is this starting to sound like a real Mortal Kombat film? I'll make you a deal. Comment below with your thoughts. If I get more positive than negative feedback, I will post my big ideas for the sequel.