What is the Mortal Kombat Rebirth Viral Video?

J

Jeff Greeson

Administrator
Staff member
A highly suspect, but extremely well produced video was uploaded to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_MqZn7E-mk">YouTube</a>, under the account <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/MortalKombatRebirth">MortalKombatRebirth</a>, yesterday featuring several <b>Mortal Kombat</b> characters in a live-action scripted scene. Questions are abound as there are absolutely no studio credits at the end or beginning of the video. <b>WB Games</b> has been producing cinema quality "viral" videos to promote their games, namely F.E.A.R. 3. Could this be a similar promotional video for <b>Mortal Kombat 9</b>?

<b>UPDATE:</b> It was an independent director's pitch to <b>Warner Bros.</b> See updates below for more detail.

<center><object width="560" height="337"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9_MqZn7E-mk&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9_MqZn7E-mk&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="337"></embed></object></center>

The scene begins in a smoldering "Deacon City, Year: 2010" and features <b>"Captain" Jackson</b> (with the 'ON' scrapped off of the glass office door) <b>Briggs</b> (<a href="www.imdb.com/name/nm0925227/">Michael Jai White</a>) and <b>Sonya Blade</b> (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005394/">Jeri Ryan</a>) briefing a man named "Hanzo Hasashi", aka <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scorpion_(Mortal_Kombat)">Scorpion</a> about the rise of two killers nicknamed, <b>Reptile</b> and <b>Baraka</b>.

Scorpion is informed that a man he thought was <b>Sub-Zero</b> was killed, was actually Sub-Zero's brother. At 7:11 of the clip, a quick flash of the below image displays Sub-Zero's new look.

<center><img src="http://www.trmk.org/images/news/SubZero_MKRebirth.jpg" width="330" height="197" class="newslink"></center>
This image was previously posted on <a href="http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showpost.php?p=551270&postcount=94">ZBrushCentral</a> by <a href="http://ft.cgsociety.org/gallery/">Furio Tedeschi</a>, a 3D Modeler that previously had worked at <b>Blitz Games</b> on a WB Games title <a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/ps2/taz-wanted/credits">Taz: Wanted</a> in 2002.

It is also possible that this could be an independent studio that created this teaser trailer for technical demonstration. Too much is unknown to be able to come to a definite conclusion. Also, the timing of the video seems too convenient to be released almost a week from <b>E3 2010</b>. What is absolutely known is that the production value is extremely high to simply ignore, especially since the video is rendered in full 1080p High Definition.

<b>Update 2:30pm CST:</b> We're hearing that this video is not anything seen before by those involved with creating <a href="http://www.trmk.org/games/mortal_kombat_9/">Mortal Kombat 9</a> at WB Games. So if it is created by WB as a viral marketing clip, it was done with very few people involved or in the know. We're still waiting for an official comment at this time though.

It does appear to star <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0925227/">Michael Jai White</a> from the Spawn movie and more recently The Dark Knight. So it's either a very clever work of fakery or something more serious is being created.

Whoever is behind this didn't purchase the domain <a href="http://www.mortalkombatrebirth.com">MortalKombatRebirth.com</a> to go along with the YouTube account. That domain is now owned by us and points to TRMK. This is not something Warner Bros. would do as they are <a href="http://www.trmk.org/news/12891/wb_games_chicago_to_become_netherrealm_studios.html">known to purchase domains long before anything is even on them</a>.

Could this be the first look at <a href="http://www.blogomatic3000.com/2010/05/29/exclusive-larry-kasanoff-working-on-third-mortal-kombat-movie/">a future MK movie from Threshold Entertainment</a> without the involvement of Warner Bros? We are unsure at this point.

A <a href="http://twitter.com/RZAWU/status/15722927614">tweet</a> from <a href="http://twitter.com/rzawu/">RZA of Wu-Tang</a> says that the director of this project is <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1160495/">Kevin Tancharoen</a>, whose previous work includes <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808085/">"Dancelife"</a> and other dance related TV shows.

<b>Update 5:50pm</b>: It appears Latino Review is <a href="http://www.latinoreview.com/news/mortal-kombat-fans-this-is-the-hard-r-mk-movie-you-ve-been-waiting-for-10164">saying this is a test shoot</a> that was done "for Warner Brothers to get funding for a full blown hard 'R' MK movie." They confirm it was <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1160495/">Kevin Tancharoen</a> who directed it, along with revealing most of the rest of the cast. This is more likely something the director pitched to Warner Bros himself along with some industry backers. If Warner Bros. wanted it made they wouldn't have leaked it especially if it differs much from the massive marketing plan that is <a href="http://www.trmk.org/news/12934/will_the_next_mortal_kombat_be_shown_at_e3_2010.html">about to launch for Mortal Kombat 9 next week</a>. It's very likely it is a rejected pitch that the people behind it wanted to get out to drum up some support for their vision of a Mortal Kombat remake.

<b>Update 6/9/2010:</b> Another confirmation that this was a pitch to <b>Warner Bros.</b> regarding a director's vision of remaking the <b>Mortal Kombat</b> movie series. Actress, <a href="http://twitter.com/JeriLRyan">Jeri Ryan</a>, confirms on her <b>Twitter</b> account that it was a pitch to studio heads for director <b>Kevin Tancharoen</b>.

It appears that finally there is an answer to this mystery video. It was not produced by <b>Warner Bros.</b> and neither was it produced to hype the upcoming <b>Mortal Kombat 9</b> video game. Granted, the timing of this release couldn't be better. <b>E3 2010</b> is just around the corner and everyone has <b>Mortal Kombat</b> on the brain. It has definitely gotten the attention of the <b>Internet</b> and it is spreading like wildfire. It seems like an even bigger stage is now set for the unveiling of <b>Mortal Kombat 9</b>.
 
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Re: Next Mortal Kombat Game Revealed in Viral Video?

All I really have to say is... what the hell?
 
Woo, whatever that was, it oozed of high production values. If it's related to MK9, WB is serious about re-launching the series.
 
High production values doesn't mean that it's not independently made; it's not about what you have, it's how you use it.

The short was directed by Kevin Tancharoen, who does have experience (rules out threshold). Whether he acted alone or had backers, they had to have some kind of pull in order to get those actors.

Don't assume that the new film is this project. You may just be looking at a lone short film.
 
Honestly, I think this film is an attempted bastardization of the series, though. It's nice eye-candy...but it's just missing something crucial.
 
What you're suggesting makes less sense than what's been speculated. A high budget independent short that's unrelated to two major upcoming MK projects. One of which is seeing a 2010 release. Threshold isn't a small, inexperienced company either.

EDIT: You can just edit your post Vali. No need for successive posts to up your post count.
 
This trailer is awsome. Ibelieve that tis video is a trailer of the upcomming MK movie and not related to MK9, This video is too legit.
 
If this is indeed made by WB, something serious is going on. The short looks extremely well done for it to be fake.

If that's Baraka, then there's pretty much nothing left of the MK background. Everything has been modernised. And I'll assume that cage won't be resurrected this time?

Kurtis Stryker said:
Chud claims its for the movie:
http://chud.com/articles/articles/23984/1/IS-THIS-VIDEO-FOR-THE-NEW-MORTAL-KOMBAT-MOVIE/Page1.html

Aside from Michael Jai White being perfectly cast as Jax, this looks a bit lame. Do we really need more on the feud between Scorpion/Sub-Zero, or Shang Tsung reigning again?
Click to expand...

If it's going to be a reboot, what else are we going to expect?
 
Jinko said:
If this is indeed made by WB, something serious is going on. The short looks extremely well done for it to be fake.
Click to expand...

I can confirm it's not by WB Games, so this has NOTHING to do with this leak. And it doesn't sound like something even WB the parent company would do, this stinks of lazy leaking not a sly viral marketing attempt by a major corporation. Read the update to the news post to see my thoughts.
 
The whole deal with Reptile being born with Harlequin-type ichthyosis is just Hollywood revisionist bull crap. The Saurian race do not have that condition; they're raptors!
 
Kurtis Stryker said:
The whole deal with Reptile being born with Harlequin-type ichthyosis is just Hollywood revisionist bull crap. The Saurian race do not have that condition; they're raptors!
Click to expand...

Yes, we all know that, but the whole point of the video is to proposition how Mortal Kombat would play out in a more realistic setting. There's no harm in that. I was a bit standoffish at the idea of characters being changed up and given a realistic spin, but after thinking about it for a bit and watching the video a few times, I have grown to become quite curious and supportive of the idea. Sure, I wouldn't want it to be a permenant switch for Mortal Kombat, but merely testing the idea is fine with me.

I think MK needs to be darker and grittier, and with the fake looking effects and gags they have used in the past few enstallments, that cannot happen. They need something more realistic and creepy. Buckets of bright colorful blood is no longer shocking nor impactful, they need to dig deep and make you believe what you are seeing could actually happen.
 
That video is pretty awesome. As much as I would love to see a far more faithful recreation of the games on film, as history has proven they just normally don't work. I reckon having two very different iterations of the same thing in two separate forms of media might actually be the way to solve the common games to film issue. Hell it's kind of an equivalent to how comic book's have multiple universes, and we already know MK's involvement in such ideas with MKvsDC. As long as the games aren't changed, the film version would offer new perspective and ideas not possible in the game.
 
I dont at all believe this was a TEST SHOOT for a movie that was rejected. Ed Boon's twitter comment today points that it is new and most likely from WB. I think it is to do with marketing for the game.
 
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