The 1995 film adaptation of the “Mortal Kombat” video game remains one of the few that works, a key reason for that is the movie’s propulsive soundtrack.
In particular, the title track of “Techno Syndrome (Mortal Kombat),” created by a pair of Belgian electronic musicians two years earlier, was used heavily in the film’s marketing and the game’s home console release around the time. As a result, that track has been burned into the memory of a whole generation.
Now, it has been confirmed the upcoming film reboot of the franchise will be using that theme song. In fact whilst speaking with Collider, director Simon McQuoid revealed that one of the first questions of the new film’s composer Benjamin Wallfisch was about the incorporation of the existing themes. He goes on to say:
“The music in Mortal Kombat is such a big part of it… The word I use a lot, one of the things we’ve been talking about all through development, is respect. For the fans and respect for the characters and respect for the canon of the game.
So the execution ultimately takes that into consideration from the absolute bedrock, and really listening to and understanding the fans and understanding a broader audience, and thinking of all those things. So [Wallfisch] came in knowing that, and then we started talking about the respect for the fans and the material.
And he said, ‘Do you think there’s anything we can do with the distinct music?’ And I said, ‘Well, yeah, I think through this whole process, what we’re doing here is we’re taking material that’s well-known and we’re moving it and we’re elevating it. We’re taking it seriously, very seriously – doesn’t mean there’s not comedy and levity through the film – and we’re really considering it and we are making sure it’s really thought through.’ So he said, ‘Well, I think it’ll work, and I’ve done a demo track. Do you want to hear it?’”
In fact, that demo track was so good that when McQuoid started talking to prospective actors, he played that bit of music for them to help with his pitch and “they knew exactly the movie we were making.”
Meanwhile, producer Todd Garner recently spoke with ComicBook.com about one of the most anticipated elements of the film – the fatalities.
Garner has warned fans not to get their hopes up too high as some of the most ridiculously graphic violence from the games can’t be carried over to the screen:
“First of all, it’s CG characters, so it’s not real. So obviously the bar being raised for the violence. I’m under the restrictions of the Motion Picture Association of America. So, I have to live inside those rules. So, we’re going to do as much as we can and that would be what it’s… Going to definitely be R-rated, definitely be violent… There’s crazy s–t you do in the games. I don’t know if you really want to see Ludi [Lin] get his head ripped off.”
Whilst they may not be as extreme, it doesn’t mean it’s not going to get graphic. McQuoid has previously indicated that fatalities were always in the film from the get-go, everyone wanted them including the studio. He tells CinemaBlend that there “were multiple drums of [fake] blood sitting around” on the set and used in the film which comes to theaters and HBO Max on April 16th.