New 'Mortal Kombat' Movie Delayed Again

The long-awaited Mortal Kombat movie has been delayed yet again, but this time only by a week. The [...]

The long-awaited Mortal Kombat movie has been delayed yet again, but this time only by a week. The video game adaptation was scheduled to be released in theaters and on HBO Max on April 16. On Tuesday, Variety reported that the movie will now come out on Friday, April 23.

Mortal Kombat promises all the brutality of the video games rolled into a fantasy narrative, adding depth to the fighters and the tournament itself. The movie has been in the works in various forms since 2010, but even the current version has been in the works since 2016. It was filmed in late 2019 and has been subject to various delays and schedule changes due to the coronavirus pandemic. After all that shuffling around, it's understandable that fans are upset by yet another delay.

Like the rest of Warner Bros. Studios' 2021 film slate, Mortal Kombat will be released simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max, so that those who have not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19 can still enjoy them at home. This has also caused some major shuffling in the studio's release schedule, however. Mortal Kombat is the next blockbuster following this week's release of Godzilla vs. Kong.

According to Variety, the rescheduling is likely a response to the relative success of Godzilla vs. Kong. After a year of theater closures and devastating ticket sales, the monster movie has made $121 million at the international box office already — an excellent sign by the current standards. Another week before Mortal Kombat's release will reportedly allow the studio to get the most out of Godzilla vs. Kong, and get more people vaccinated before the next movie comes out.

The studio is also likely responding to the increases in capacity in public spaces as more people get vaccinated. On Tuesday, Los Angeles County relaxed a handful of restrictions, allowing movie theaters to open at 50-percent capacity even indoors. Expecting this to drive ticket sales up, Warner Bros. might be pushing Mortal Kombat back to wait for those fans.

The Mortal Kombat franchise centers around a multi-dimensional martial arts tournament hosted by the Elder Gods themselves. It draws monsters, demi-gods and humans alike into the ring to fight for the fate of their realm. This movie will center around Cole Young (Lewis Tan), "a washed-up MMA fighter unaware of his hidden lineage or why he is being hunted down by the Sub-Zero of the Lin-Kuei clan of assassins." It will be available in theaters and on HBO Max on Friday, April 23.

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