By The time to brawl is nigh, as Warner Bros. has set Mortal Kombat for an April 16, 2021 release date following a pandemic-related delays and confusion. The film will also premiere on HBO Max the same day, and be available to subscribers there for a month following its premiere.
On April 16, Mortal Kombat enters the arena. Coming to theaters and streaming exclusively on HBO Max. #MortalKombatMovie pic.twitter.com/mjB8DRhyYM
— Mortal Kombat Movie (@MKMovie) December 14, 2020
Mortal Kombat producer Todd Garner was adamant just a month ago that the film wouldn’t be dated (or receive a trailer) “until theaters re-open,” though Warner Bros.’ recent move to shift their entire 2021 slate of films to HBO Max for streaming premieres has conflicted with a number of productions’ plans, and met much backlash from major Hollywood talent. Filmmaker Christopher Nolan, as well as Godzilla vs. Kong production company Legendary Pictures were vocally opposed to the move to streaming.
Additionally, the feature-length Tom & Jerry film has been bumped up to a February 26 date, earlier than its previous March 5 premiere. Furthermore, the Hugh Jackman sci-fi thriller Reminiscence has been “removed from the studio’s calendar,” prompting questions as to when the film might release.
The move to a dual-theatrical/streaming premiere for all of Warner Bros.’ 2021 films has been met with intense degrees of surprise and, for some, disapproval. How films like Mortal Kombat and Tom & Jerry will fare with Warner Bros.’ industry-shaking strategy remains to be seen, but at least for now fans have an idea when they’ll be able to see these films at all, raging pandemic or otherwise.
Source: Variety