The 2021 Mortal Kombat feature film has begun shooting in South Australia, and local news coverage of Day 1 has revealed more details about the various locations the southern state will double for.
9 News Adelaide reports approximately 700 extras took part in location filming in Port Adelaide, which will reportedly double for the streets of Chicago. State Premier Steven Marshall was there for the milestone, noting the days' work will roughly translate to around thirty-seconds of production. The movie is the largest shoot of its kind in South Australia.
Executive Producer Bennett Walsh discussed the versatile locations South Australia is able to offer to the film, noting the demands of the project: "I am surprised that we've been able to find every location here, because it is an action-fantasy film."
Other shooting locations will include the desert town of Coober Pedy, where movies such as Mad Max: Beyond Thunder Dome and Pitch Black have been filmed. Mount Crawford Forest in the Adelaide Hills will also double for "14th century Japan", according to Walsh.
It's unclear if the reference is intended to be literal, or indicative of Mortal Kombat's unique style. Despite the ancient martial arts tournament at the centre of Mortal Kombat's mythology; feudal Japan has never been of featured significance in the long running series.
One notable example of feudal Japan in Mortal Kombat comes from episodes seven and eight of the controversial live-action webseries Mortal Kombat: Legacy. In that retelling of Scorpion's origin, the secret world of the Shirai Ryu ninja clan was transposed to a time still under Shogun rule, no later than 19th century.
Writer Greg Russo has shared more photos from the shoot. Mortal Kombat is the first feature film by award-winning commercial director Simon McQuoid, with James Wan among producers. Japanese actors Hiroyuki Sanada and Tadanobu Asano are among the international cast.
What do you hope to see from Mortal Kombat's varied locations? Share your thoughts in the comments below and join the speculation on the Media & Merchandise forum! Special thanks to MK Online user rojothunder192 for sharing a link to this story!
