It’s officially Mortal Kombat release week. Based on the iconic video game series, this film serves as a reboot of the Mortal Kombat film series. If you’ve never dabbled with the Mortal Kombat games, the primary plot is that legendary and powerful warriors come together in an intergalactic tournament fighting typically for the survival of the world. In this iteration of the story, we meet Ludi Lin and Max Huang whose characters possess the magical arcana that makes them Earthrealm champions.
In “Mortal Kombat,” MMA fighter Cole Young, accustomed to taking a beating for money, is unaware of his heritage—or why Outworld’s Sorcerer Shang Tsung has sent his best warrior, Sub-Zero, an otherworldly Cryomancer, to hunt him down. Fearing for his family’s safety, Cole goes in search of Sonya Blade at the direction of Jax, a Special Forces Major who bears the same strange dragon marking Cole was born with. Soon, he finds himself at the temple of Lord Raiden, an Elder God and the protector of Earthrealm, who grants sanctuary to those who bear the mark. Here, Cole trains with experienced warriors Liu Kang, Kung Lao and rogue mercenary Kano, as he prepares to stand with Earth’s greatest champions against the enemies from Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe. But will Cole be pushed hard enough to unlock his arcana—the immense power from within his soul—in time to save not only his family, but to stop Outworld once and for all?
Ludi Lin plays the iconic Liu Kang, one of original characters of the franchise. He is a Shaolin monk and fights alongside Kung Lao while being guided by his mentor, the thunder god Raiden (Tadanobu Asano). In the film, he acts like a guide to Cole Young (Lewis Tan) one of the newest Earthrealm champions.
Max Huang plays Kung Lao, one of Liu Kang’s closest friends who meets Cole and his gang when they arrive at Raiden’s temple to prepare for the tournament. Kung Lao is one of the most popular characters in the franchise, most notable known for his wide-brimmed hat that acts not only as an accessory but a weapon, one that can cut through flesh.
We spoke with Lin and Huang about working with their fellow Asian cast members in such a diverse film and also about the insane martial arts and stunts that they had for the film. Watch The Beat‘s exclusive chat with Lin and Huang below!
Mortal Kombat is in theaters and streaming on HBO Max Friday, April 23, 2021.
