The creative team behind the upcoming Mortal Kombat movie, which is due out April 16 simultaneously in theaters and HBO Max, is well aware how earlier films in the series have garnered a reputation for being cheesy. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, director Simon McQuoid says his feature directorial debut will pay homage to the video game series' over-the-top leanings while also going deep on the story. The story is worth clicking over to since it's got tons of new shots of the film--plus another one not featured there over at EW's Instagram.

　　The movie gives what fans want right from the beginning: Sub-Zero vs. Scorpion. Only it's when they were known as Bi-Han and Hanzo.

　　The opening sequence finishes with "a pretty nasty hand-to-hand combat" … "really elemental and really brutal." https://t.co/4DjBOL5Q33 pic.twitter.com/NyS5vtlbfG

　　— Nick Romano (@NickARomano) January 15, 2021

　　For example, it's impossible to think about Mortal Kombat without thinking about blood, something McQuoid says he and screenwriters Greg Russo and Dave Callaham really meditated on and wanted to be intentional about exploring in the story. For example, says McQuoid, "Blood represents family. Blood Represents connection. Blood represents who we are. Without getting too overcomplicated, what we did is use blood executionally." (Presumably, pun intended.)

　　Taking this theme even further, the story is described as a blood feud that "needed to be told within the fight." The clans of Hanzo and Bi-Han come to blows, and as the story unfolds more and more familiar characters from the universe get recruited into the fight as mercenaries and previously undiscovered descendants in each lineage rejoin the fold. An example of one wholly new character is Cole Young, played by actor and martial artist Lewis Tan.

　　GameSpot Newsletters

　　Get the latest gaming news, reviews, and deals sent to your inbox, FREE!

　　Sign Up

　　Sign Up

　　By signing up to receive newsletters, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

　　Thanks for signing up

　　Tan, like many of the principles involved with the film, told Entertainment Weekly about their fondness for the series. "I've been playing the game since I was a kid," Tan said. "For lack of a better way to describe it, you don't want to mess it up because it's so iconic. You want to bring something new to the table that people haven't seen before, but at the same time, really respect and pay homage to these legendary worlds that were already created."

　　David Wolinsky on Google+