Director Simon McQuoid is not sure about Mortal Kombat’s reception after its eventual release next month on HBO Max.
He’s unsure of how Warner Bros. will calculate the success of Mortal Kombat, especially in the current circumstances of a pandemic. There’s no theatrical option, so a streaming launch may or may not turn out to be great.
Such uncertainties are common to think of when it comes to a movie that took a long time in its making.
‘Mortal Kombat’: Will it bring more viewers to HBO Max?
Director Simon McQuoid’s worry for Mortal Kombat makes sense in a lot of ways.
In a recent media interaction, he said:
“Probably two years ago, it would have been box office weekend, but that doesn’t exist anymore. So, I don’t know what it will be.”
Firstly, due to restricted or no theatrical launch, moviegoers’ passion, somehow, has gone down, especially when it comes to even the biggest projects.
Granted, not every huge title has arrived yet for streaming. But those that have already didn’t perform that well.
Some of the examples of poor reception are from HBO Max itself, sadly. Wonder Woman 1984 is one such casualty that mostly fell flat after its launch last December.
It debuted on Warner Bros’s streaming platform that’s still struggling to gain more paid viewers. And as expected, the highly-awaited sequel tanked badly.
However, another reason for that was also poor filmmaking from Patty Jenkins.
Now considering this for a movie like Mortal Kombat, things may or may not go their way.
A lot of efforts, of more than a decade, has gone into its making. Plus, it will bring fan-favorite gaming characters to life with a blood-soaked presentation and story.
All this deserves an experience of watching it inside a cinema hall.
But the pandemic has changed everything since 2020.
Almost every new release coming each week is on some streaming service, which is the only solution when thinking pragmatically.
Mortal Kombat might get an advantage due to this situation if it becomes more than satisfying for the die-hard lovers. In that case, it might even add fresh paid subscribers to HBO Max as well!
But everything depends on the early impression it makes post-launch.
More video game adaptations in the future
Meanwhile, when it comes to the love for gaming, it seems to have gone on a different level these days because almost every major studio is adapting various iconic titles either into a movie or a TV series.
Some of the future projects, already in development, based on blockbuster games include movies like Borderlands, The Division, Without Remorse, and Call of Duty.
Then there are upcoming TV shows like The Last of Us, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Brothers In Arms, and Fallout.
Again, coming back to Mortal Kombat is set to make its way on HBO Max on April 16th.
Do you think every gaming adaptation into a live-action format will succeed? What are your thoughts on this new trend in the entertainment industry?
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Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/YouTube Screenshot