In 1995, Mortal Kombat was released to theatres worldwide, grossing a respectable $23 million dollars in it's opening weekend in the United States. An American launching pad for British director, Paul Anderson (Resident Evil, Event Horizon), the film was also a watershed moment for the licensing of video game properties in Hollywood, which to that point, had resulted in critical and financial failure in the box office.
The movie was the culmination of a licensing agreement between major players of the time, then MK-owners Midway Games, and production studio, Threshold Entertainment. The deal would go on to produce a film sequel; animated series, Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm; live-action television show, Mortal Kombat: Conquest; and interactive live-action web series, Federation of Martial Arts.
In 2011, the original Mortal Kombat movie remains among the most popular and successful films to be based on video games. With the aquisition of the brand by Warner Brothers, both the original movie and it's 1997 sequel, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, will get a new lease on life in the Blu-Ray format with a re-release targetted for April 19.
Complete details remain unknown, but IGN.com report that the Blu-Ray release will come with special features lacking from the existing DVD. Both movies contain a theatrical trailer, HD Mortal Kombat video game trailer, and digital copy of the movies, while Mortal Kombat boasts Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins -- a 1995 direct-to-video animated feature.
Bigger news for gamers: the movies come packed with an exclusive downloadable "classic skin" costume for Jade! The DLC bonus is exclusively available for the PlayStation 3 version of Mortal Kombat -- the new game released on the same day as the movies, April 19, on PS3 and Xbox 360.
Fans keen for new live-action material will also be able to get their hands on a brand new upcoming digital series, to be released around the same time [full story].
Update Feb. 3: Jade's bonus "classic" costume can been seen in the latest advertisement for the Blu-Ray releases [accessible below]. The design pays homage to Jade's debut as a playable character in the Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 style. All bonus costumes are expected to be made available for both consoles at a later date.
Update Feb. 6: The more things change, the more they stay the same. Blu-Ray.com has hi-resolution cover artwork from the new releases, which are essentially identical to their previous home DVD releases. You can get a closer look at the covers front and back, with updated blurbs for 2011, above (in the story).
