Mortal Kombat's Sub-Zero actor, Joe Taslim, signed a five-movie contract to appear in the hopeful video game franchise. Warner Bros. is bringing the iconic fighting video game back to the big screen shortly. The 2021 Mortal Kombat reboot comes two decades after the last attempt at a movie, and there is optimism that it will far surpass what Mortal Kombat: Annihilation delivered. The new film is an action-heavy, R-rated adaptation filled with some of the biggest characters from the video game franchise.
Even before Mortal Kombat releases in theaters and on HBO Max simultaneously, there is hope that the movie will be the beginning of a brand new franchise for Warner Bros. The supposed video game curse has been broken in recent years with better adaptations, and footage from Mortal Kombat is quite promising. Those involved with the movie have an interest in doing more, such as a Shaolin Monk spinoff with Liu Kang and Kung Lao. In addition to potential spinoff movies or HBO Max shows, the success of the reboot could bring multiple sequels, and at least one of the stars is prepared for that outcome.
During a recent interview with Variety, Taslim revealed how many Mortal Kombat films he's contracted to appear in. Taslim plays the villain Sub-Zero in the first movie, but he's already locked into multiple appearances after. He told the outlet that his contract with the studio includes four sequels, which makes his initial Mortal Kombat contract five movies long. WB hasn't announced plans to do more yet, but Taslim says, "If this one’s successful, maybe we do more."
With Taslim revealing he has a five-movie contract for Mortal Kombat, that should eliminate any possible questions about if Sub-Zero would be part of the franchise's future. This also is a strong indicator that multiple other actors involved in the reboot have similar sequel clauses. It has become quite common for Hollywood studios to lock in actors for multiple movies at the start of a possible franchise. WB has at least made the smart decision to secure Taslim for future Mortal Kombat projects, and it is likely that fellow stars, Lewis Tan (Cole Young), Hiroyuki Sanada (Scorpion), Ludi Lin (Liu Kang), Tadanobu Asano (Lord Raiden), and Jessica McNamee (Sonya Blade) have similar deals in place.
It might not be long now before the future of the Mortal Kombat franchise is decided. The film's impending release will give WB and HBO Max firm data on how much interest there is in the property and a clear view of its reception. The early reviews for Mortal Kombat have been positive and point towards a fun time for fans. If the movie proves to be a hit at the box office, WB will have the confidence to announce some sequels that Taslim could appear in. Similarly, a strong performance on HBO Max could lead to some TV show spinoffs being announced, potentially even one centered around Sub-Zero. So, as long as Mortal Kombat doesn't fail, it appears there will be much more Sub-Zero in the future.
Source: Variety
