It’s been 14 
years since Sub-Zero, Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade and Raiden were in theaters, but in 2013, they’ll be back.
New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Interactive are partnering to bring Mortal Kombat back to the big screen — and they may just be able to redeem the franchise’s long tarnished cinematic legacy.
[Gamasutra’s editor at large Chris Morris talks to 
director Kevin Tancharoen on how the genuinely accidental YouTube release of his short spec film Mortal Kombat: Rebirth led to a gig with Warner Bros. making live-action episodes ahead of the new Mortal Kombat game.]
When the live action short film Mortal Kombat: Rebirth hit YouTube in March 2010, people started buzzing. The film, starring Michael Jai White and Jeri Ryan, was not only cool to watch, it was reverential towards the classic Midway-originated fighting game series.
Director Kevin Tancharoen had hoped to use it to lobby Warner Bros. to sign him on to steer a reimagined MK film. While he didn’t quite make it to that level, the company has contracted him to direct a series of live-action shorts that will likely lead up to the release of the new Mortal Kombat game in April. Ironically, though, it all started with a mistake.
Chris Morris: Journalist 