Things are heating up in Outworld.
THR‘s Heat Vision column is tracking further news on Mortal Kombat following Variety’s report signaling Ludi Lin for the role of Liu Kang.
Newcome actress Sisi Stringer will tackle the role of Mileena while actors Mehcad Brooks (CW’s Supergirl) and actor Tadanobu Asano (Ichi The Killer, Zatoichi, Thor Ragnarok), will portray Jackson “Jax” Briggs, and the God of Thunder and Earthrealm defender himself, Raiden, respectively.
Jax and Mileena didn’t appear in the game franchise until the second installment from the franchise’s former banner, Midway in 1993. Both continue to be fixtures in the game universe to this day next to Raiden, one of the first seven from the first game.
Asano succeeds the likes of actors Christopher Lambert and James Remar who portrayed the lighting-born deity for the 1995 and 1997 films; On the small screen, actor Jeffrey Meek played the character in television series Mortal Kombat: Conquest while Ryan Robbins and David Lee McInnis played the character for the first and second season of Mortal Kombat Legacy, respectively.
After Jolene Tran in season one, actress and martial artist Michelle Lee took over the role of Mileena in live action for the second season of Mortal Kombat Legacy.
The live-action longevity of Special Forces Major, Jax, began with John R. Leonetti’s Mortal Kombat Annihilation with actor Lynn “Red” Williams taking the role. Martial arts star Michael Jai White coveted the role for Kevin Tancharoen’s leaked 2010 proof of concept as well as season one of Mortal Kombat Legacy, and was long hoped for by fans the role once more in a version of the film that previously put Tancharoren at the helm.
This particular line-up of casting following the additions of Joe Taslim as ice cold ninja assassin Sub-Zero last month and Ludi Lin’s mention as monastic shaolin warrior Liu Kang on Thursday signals the casting is coming together as production in Adelaide inches closer.
James Wan and Todd Garner are producing the game adaptation with commerical director Simon McQuoid making his debut from a script by Greg Russo. Larry Kasanoff, E. Bennett Walsh, Michael Clear and Sean Robins exec produce.
Mortal Kombat releases on March 5, 2021 from Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line.