Mortal Kombat 2 star says the first movie was "kind of like a prequel" as the sequel finally launches the tournament

• Copy link
• Facebook
• X
• Pinterest
• Flipboard
• Email

Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter

If you saw 2021's Mortal Kombat, you probably noticed a major omission: the tournament that has defined the blood-spattering fighting game since its inception. Imminent sequel Mortal Kombat 2 course-corrects that strange choice by structuring the entire film around five fights to the death, with Earthrealm on the line.

It's understandable, then, that even the first movie's lead actor, Lewis Tan, views 2021's Mortal Kombat as a "prequel" to the main event, with the star detailing his thoughts during an exclusive conversation with GamesRadar+ in London.

"I think the story and how many characters there are, and the lore behind it, it takes some time to set up," says Tan, who plays Cole Young – a character who has never appeared in the games. "At least in my opinion, I look at the first movie as kind of like a prequel in the sense that this second film is just from the very beginning, the tournament, non-stop action."

Article continues below

Mortal Kombat 2 also recenters the action around a new adversary – Shao Khan (Mad Max: Fury Road star Martyn Ford) and his adopted daughter, Kitana (Adeline Rudolph), with Cole among those fighting for Earthrealm. Evening the odds (sort of) is Earthrealm's newest champion: Johnny Cage (Karl Urban).

"Now we're fully into the world. We don't need to set anything up," Tan continues. "We're there from the moment the movie opens, it's just non-stop action and chaos. We tried to take as many things from the game and put it into into the film and make one of the best action movies of all time."

This echoes Mortal Kombat 2 director Simon McQuoid's recent words to SFX Magazine: "The thing we wanted to embrace was the outrageous nature of Mortal Kombat," McQuoid said. "I got better at seeing that as an advantage. Then we amplify things, so that we carve out our own unique space in the greater cinematic landscape."

Sitting alongside Tan and man-mountain Ford, Jax actor Mechad Brooks notes that "both the films were made by Mortal Kombat fans for Mortal Kombat fans, but we turned up the dial on the second film." Producer Todd Garner's recent claims that studio Warner Bros. didn't know what it had with Mortal Kombat may go some way to explaining the series' newfound confidence in its video game origins.

Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

"It's everything you want," Brooks tells GamesRadar+. "All of us grew up as Mortal Kombat fans and the first movie was good, but this one is exactly what you want if you're a fan of the game, period."

Mortal Kombat 2 releases in theaters on May 8. For more, check out our list of upcoming video game movies or our full list of upcoming movie releases.

CATEGORIES

Jordan FarleyManaging Editor, Entertainment

I'm the Managing Editor, Entertainment here at GamesRadar+, overseeing the site's film and TV coverage. In a previous life as a print dinosaur, I was the Deputy Editor of Total Film magazine, and the news editor at SFX magazine. Fun fact: two of my favourite films released on the same day - Blade Runner and The Thing.

View More

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Logout LATEST ARTICLES

1. 1A new Elden Ring world record was set just 2 weeks ago, and I keep rewatching the same part
2. 2GTA 6 should be $80 so the whole "struggling" industry can raise game prices, Bank of America says
3. 3Hitman dev IO Interactive is open to 007 First Light sequel if fans like the James Bond game enough
4. 4Valve admits "Steam Controller ran out faster than we anticipated," says more stock is coming
5. 5Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced brings a huge change to combat and I kind of love it