#Mortal Kombat Reboot Is Officially Rated-R for Its Bloody Violent Fatalities

It’s officially official; Mortal Kombat is rated R. The upcoming reboot is once again set to adapt the popular series of fighting games in cinematic fashion. The creative team behind the movie has repeatedly promised that it will be R-rated. They have promised blood. Fatalities. The whole deal. The trailer did not pull any punches. Now, the MPAA has confirmed that the movie will indeed be slapped with an R for reasons that should make fans of the franchise happy.

According to the MPAA, Mortal Kombat has been rated R for “strong bloody violence and language throughout, and some crude references.” Whether or not the movie delivers on all other fronts remains to be seen. That said, violence, blood, language and crudeness sounds like the right batch of ingredients for a movie such as this. At the very least, it seems Warner Bros. didn’t get cold feet at the last second, attempting to soften things up for a PG-13. The original Mortal Kombat from the 90s went that way. This one is going to push the envelope a bit further.
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Simon McQuoid is in the director’s chair and this represents his feature debut. James Wan, the man behind The Conjuring franchise, as well as Aquaman, is on board as a producer. The cast is led by Lewis Tan MMA fighter Cole Young, a new character created specifically for the movie. Also starring are Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Josh Lawson as Kano, Tadanobu Asano as Raiden, Mehcad Brooks Jax Bridges, Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Chin Han as Shang Tsung, Max Huang as Kung Lao, Sisi Stringer as Mileena, Matilda Kimber as Emily Young and Laura Brent as Allison Young.

Mortal Kombat centers on MMA fighter Cole Young who is used to taking a beating for money. He, however, is unaware of his heritage and doesn’t know why Outworld’s Emperor Shang Tsung has sent his best warrior, Sub-Zero to hunt him down. Afraid for the safety of his family, Cole seeks out Sonya Blade at the direction of Jax, a Special Forces Major who has the same strange dragon marking Cole was born with. It’s not long before Cole finds himself at Lord Raiden’s temple. Raiden, an Elder God and the protector of Earthrealm, grants sanctuary to those who have this mark. Cole then trains with experienced warriors Liu Kang, Kung Lao and Kano as he prepares to fight alongside Earth’s greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld in a high-stakes battle for the universe.

Newcomer Greg Russo and Dave Callaham, of Wonder Woman 1984 fame, penned the screenplay. As is the case with every Warner Bros. movie in 2021, Mortal Kombat will be heading to theaters as well as HBO Max in the U.S. on the same day. This will give viewers an option; stay at home and stream it or head to a theater and see it on the big screen. The release date is set for April 16. This news comes to us via FilmRatings.com.

Topics: Mortal Kombat