Fight! First Images From The New Mortal Kombat Movie Online

Video game brawl veteran Mortal Kombat has been adapted for the screen before, in 1995. (with Mortal Kombat: Annihilation following in 1997) But hopes for more bone-crunching combat and unrestrained scrapping are higher for the new version, which has some first look images online.

In the new film, MMA fighter Cole Young (Lewis Tan), accustomed to taking a beating for money, is unaware of his heritage—or why Outworld's Emperor Shang Tsung (Chin Han) has sent his best warrior, Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim), an otherworldly Cryomancer, to hunt Cole down. Fearing for his family's safety, Cole goes in search of Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee) at the direction of Jax (Mehcad Brooks), a Special Forces Major who bears the same strange dragon marking Cole was born with.

Soon, he finds himself at the temple of Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano), an Elder God and the protector of Earthrealm, who grants sanctuary to those who bear the mark. Here, Cole trains with experienced warriors Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), Kung Lao (Max Huang) and rogue mercenary Kano (Josh Lawson), as he prepares to stand with Earth’s greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe. But will Cole be pushed hard enough to unlock his arcana—the immense power from within his soul—in time to save not only his family but to stop Outworld once and for all?

Simon McQuoid, more normally found directing adverts, is making his feature debut with the movie, which has James Wan among its producers. Mortal Kombat is currently scheduled to arrive in the UK on 16 April, but we'll see if it sticks to that.