Mortal Kombat: Rebirth

Mortal Kombat: Rebirth is a 2010 American

The short-film features an alternative version of the Mortal Kombat universe. The characters of the game are portrayed with vastly different origins, based on realism. There is no mention of Outworld or any other supernatural elements, although the tournament itself is a main part of the storyline in this short. Tancharoen himself has noted that he wouldn't shy away from supernatural elements entirely, but they have to be "done in a very tasteful way".[2]

Plot

Deacon City Police Captain

• Michael Jai White as Jackson Briggs, a captain in the Deacon City Police Department. On his office door at the beginning of the film, the last two letters of his first name are faded, thus reading as "Jacks", a nod to "Jax". IGN contacted Jai White's representatives and asked about the video, and they answered White believed the shoot was a marketing component for the next Mortal Kombat game.
• Jeri Ryan as Sonya Blade, Jackson Briggs's partner. Ryan said she took the part as a favor to a friend.^[3]
• Baraka. When asked about how he got involved in the project, Mullins said: "I had known Kevin [Tancharoen] for about five years, but I never had a chance to work with him. A few months ago I got a call from Kevin about being involved in a short that he was planning to shoot. He sent me the script and I was blown away. When I sat down to meet with him, and he explained his vision, I was so excited to be involved and could not wait to start."^[4]
• Alan Zane / Baraka
  , a plastic surgeon who, after accidentally killing a patient, went on to kill two dozen more. Faced with the shame of being labeled a failed doctor, Zane pierced his face, sharpened his teeth, and surgically attached a pair of metal blades to his forearms. In a short flashback, he fights Johnny Cage, finally killing him with his arm blades.
• Ian Anthony Dale as Hanzo Hasashi / Scorpion, the top assassin of the Shirai Ryu who offered himself up to the police for killing the man he thought was his nemesis. In keeping with the video game series, his eyes are completely white and his signature spear weapon also appears. His trademark battle-cry "Get over here!" can also be heard at the ending.
• Richard Dorton as Reptile, a mass-murderer born with a rare genetic disorder, Harlequin-type ichthyosis, in which his skin produces too many cells and his eyelids are formed inside out. It is said that he likes to devour the heads of his victims, which is a nod to his "Head Eat" Fatality from the video game series.
• James Lew as Shang Tsung who is seen in the photograph.^[5]

Production

Development

Initially appearing on YouTube, the video was received with confusion by websites such as

Kevin Tancharoen, the director of the short film, spent about $7,500 to produce it, and took two months to produce everything. Filming took place in April 2010 over a period of two days, using borrowed cameras. Actor Matt Mullins already knew the director, but had not had an opportunity to work with him. A few months before filming Tancharoen called him, inviting him to participate in a short film he was planning to shoot. The script was sent to Mullins who, impressed with the text and the director's vision for the franchise, agreed to participate as Johnny Cage.^[2][8][9] Tancharoen himself has admitted that the film was never meant to be seen public, he merely wanted to use it as a pitch to Warner Bros, but when uploading it to YouTube, he accidentally published it to the public.^[10]

Series co-creator Ed Boon himself has noted that the film was "awesome"^[11] and had "no idea it was being made",^[12] though he did opine that it "probably crosses the line" as far as "re-imagining" goes.^[13] He later stated that he thought it was "incredibly well done" and that it was "a legitimate alternate universe Mortal Kombat".^[14]

Larnell Stovall, besides being responsible for the choreography of all the fights, was also responsible for presenting Michael Jai White to the project.^[15] Jeri Ryan, when asked about her role in the film, said she agreed to do it as a favor to a friend.^[16]

References