Adeline Rudolph as Kitana in “Mortal Kombat II”
Photo credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Producer James Wan is excited for the audience to watch their favorite fighters battle it out in the tournaments in “Mortal Kombat II.”
“I think the biggest thing about the second movie is that now, there’s a tournament,” says Wan, who himself is a fan of the Mortal Kombat video game. “This one is bigger in scope and scale. We wanted to delve into more characters and also go into the Netherrealm, and this time we had the resources to really accomplish that. This is built upon these great characters, this huge world, and I think the fans deserve this. I think the reason Mortal Kombat has lasted so long is because of these interesting, colorful characters, who are so exciting and fun in their way. And we just wanted to do everything right.”
In “Mortal Kombat II,” the fan favorite champions – now joined by Johnny Cage (Karl Urban) – are pitted against one another in the ultimate, no-holds barred, gory battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders. Once again directed by Simon McQuoid, the film also stars Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, with Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden, Joe Taslim as Bi-Han, and Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi and Scorpion.
Watch the trailer:
Photo credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
JOHNNY CAGE (Karl Urban)
“When we first meet Johnny Cage, he’s a very dispirited character. His career is in the tank, and he’s fallen on hard times. The journey for Johnny through this movie is one of how he finds himself, how he finds his inner power,” says Urban. “As part of my research, I delved into the culture of martial arts and martial arts tournaments, because that’s where Johnny grew up.”
KITANA (Adeline Rudolph)
“Kitana is a warrior. She is the high princess of Edenia – an extremely strong character who loses her father and is raised by Shao Kahn and his army, in his world,” says Rudolph. “She has spent all these years seeking a way to avenge her father’s death and save her people from Shao Kahn’s rule. She has a great strength, with a lot of poise and grace, but there’s also a certain vulnerability about her and a certain softness.”
SONYA BLADE (Jessica McNamee)
“Sonya Blade finally has her Arcana,” says McNamee. “Last time, she was fighting like a mere mortal, with her knives and fists. But with her newfound power, she gets to really jump in and partake in the tournament as an equal with the rest of the gang. She is strong, fierce and female, and can hold her own among the boys.”
KANO (Josh Lawson)
Says director Simon McQuoid, “I think all the fans will be pleased to know that Kano comes back. We were forced to bring him back from the dead, because there was no way I was going to leave Josh Lawson on the bench!”
LIU KANG (Ludi Lin)
“My character, Liu Kang, is the heart of Mortal Kombat. He’s the moral compass, the true north. He’s legendary, he’s strong, he’s disciplined and loyal to a fault, sometimes against his own good,” says Lin. “All these things combine with his mythical powers, his fire powers. That informs where his passion comes from. His rage is manifested in the fire that he shoots out.”
JAX (Mehcad Brooks)
“Jax has hunted long enough that the hunt is in him now, it’s what makes him who he is – and it takes a monster to fight monsters,” says Brooks. “A monster isn’t good or evil on its face; what makes you glad one’s on your side is the why behind what he does. Jax has chosen to use that part of himself – the pain, the trauma, the anger – to protect people and save Earthrealm from annihilation. That’s what makes him a hero.”
JADE (Tati Gabrielle)
“I grew up a Mortal Kombat kid. And the character I’d always play was Jade, so it was incredible to be able to play her out for real in the film,” shares Gabrielle. “Jade is quite the force to be reckoned with.”
COLE YOUNG (Lewis Tan)
“Cole is particularly unique to Mortal Kombat, because he’s the only character who wasn’t in the original game, although he’s tied into Scorpion as a descendant,” says Tan. “In a way, he was almost the eyes and ears for the audience to be introduced to these different characters in a way that maybe people who have played the game could get into and see it in a new perspective.”
QUAN CHI (Damon Herriman)
“Quan Chi is an incredibly powerful sorcerer in the Netherrealm, and a major villain in the Mortal Kombat series,” says Herriman. “He’s a necromancer, which means that he’s able to bring pretty much anyone back from the dead. He’s particularly cold and calculating, very menacing and completely self-serving. I was very drawn to the role because it’s unlike anything I’ve done before… It also gave me the opportunity to take a deep dive into Mortal Kombat, a game that is beloved by fans all around the planet.”
Photo credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
SHAO KAHN (Martyn Ford)
“Shao Kahn is the emperor. He’s the kingpin. He’s evil and he’s deceptive, but he’s also something of a genius!” says Ford. “He’s completely driven by his ego and wanting to mark his place in history. The character preparation was very interesting, because he’s half scorpion, half human. So that was a bizarre fantasy, although we absolutely wanted to bring an element of reality into that.”
KUNG LAO (Max Huang)
“He’s one of the best fighters in Mortal Kombat,” says Huang. “What makes him so iconic, of course, is his razor-brimmed hat, with which he cuts people in half and does all those crazy things. Kung Lao is quite a different character in this film, though. He’s changed. There’s a feeling of abandonment and revenge inside him that he holds towards Raiden and Liu Kang, because he feels they left him. It was very interesting this time to dive deep into his character and his journey. And the fight between Kung Lao and Liu Kang is magnificent.”
SHANG TSUNG (Chin Han)
“You never know what Shang Tsung’s true intentions are. Whether he’s going to zig or zag,” says Chin Han. “And the act of soul stealing is so provocative that I find it quite compelling. It’s almost like being an actor – when you get a script and play all these different characters. Shang has always been quite an enigma.”
LORD RAIDEN (Tadanobu Asano)
“I play Lord Raiden, and he is a very fine character!” says Asano. “He has very strong powers, including the ability to move between portals and take the champions into another realm. Once I put on his hat with its special powers, I feel very powerful on set… I hope I make my son proud! He loves this game.”
BI-HAN (Joe Taslim)
“Bi-Han was born in Hell. In Netherrealm,” says Taslim. “That bright, bright flame from Scorpion at the end of the first movie cast the darker shadow of Bi-Han. And he goes even deeper into the darkness in this movie. He’s a tortured soul now, an assassin.”
Photo credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
HANZO/SCORPION (Hiroyuki Sanada)
“It’s interesting for me to play these two characters again. As a Japanese, I’ve played a lot of ninja roles since I was young. The ninja character is very familiar to audiences. It’s very easy for me to find a link with the role. I can use all of my knowledge and experience, and I very much know the fighting style. So I can play Hanzo very naturally,” says Sanada. “But Scorpion is different. I love being in that character. When I put my costume on and say that great Scorpion line, ‘Get over here,’ I am just so happy to be back as Scorpion. He’s one of the greatest Mortal Kombat characters.”
Feast your eyes!! “Mortal Kombat II” arrives in cinemas and IMAX May 6. #MortalKombatMovie
Photo & Video Credit: “Warner Bros. Pictures”
