While I've never been a fan of any of the Mortal Kombat incarnations, be it the video game, the movies, cartoons or anything, when Kevin Tancharoen produced the short film Mortal Kombat: Rebirth last year it made me sit up and take notice. The short was a total reimagining of the fighting game, depicted in a gritty, real world style that looked more like an episode of NYPD Blue. Tancharoen took the phenomenal buzz it generated and turned it into a well-received web series, Mortal Kombat: Legacy.
His plan from the start was to pitch his own vision for the MK world, and that plan appears to have paid off. Warner Brothers has hired Tancharoen, whose big screen credits include the abysmal Fame remake, to helm a reboot. The script will be from Oren Uziel, and won't be an extension of the series, but a totally new take. Here's hoping they still bring back some of the most popular regulars, especially Michael Jai White(Black Dynamite) and Jeri Ryan(Boston Public).
But does any of this matter? Sure this is great news for Tancharoen, but how much of an audience does MK have outside of the most hardcore fans? Even though the latest game has been a smash hit by anybody's standards, that doesn't necessarily translate to box office bucks. [Deadline/THR]
