‘The Raid’s’ Joe Taslim to Star in ‘Mortal Kombat’ for New Line

By Dave McNary

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Joe Taslim has signed on to star as Sub-Zero in “Mortal Kombat” for New Line Cinema.

Taslim broke out in the 2011 Indonesian actioner “The Raid.” He appeared in “Fast and Furious 6” and “The Night Comes for Us,” and currently stars in the Cinemax series “Warrior.”

New Line noted that the video game “ 11” was released in April and has become the most successful launch in franchise history. While it was critically panned, New Line’s 1995 “Mortal Kombat” movie grossed over $120 million worldwide and its sequel, “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation,” took in $50 million two years later.

Sub-Zero was one of the original characters featured in the Midway game, which debuted in 1992 with a story focusing on the monk Liu Kang working to save Earth from an evil sorcerer. The development of the first game was originally based on an idea that Ed Boon and John Tobias had of making a video game starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, but then evolved into a horror-fantasy fighting game.

Simon McQuoid will direct “Mortal Kombat” in his feature directorial debut. James Wan and Todd Garner are producing, with Larry Kasanoff, E. Bennett Walsh, Michael Clear and Sean Robins executive producing.

The current screenplay is by Greg Russo. Warner Bros. has dated the “Mortal Kombat” movie for March 5, 2021. Warner Bros. bought the Midway Games assets in 2009 in bankruptcy court and began developing a reboot in 2011 with Kevin Tancharoen attached to direct. Tancharoen departed from the project three years later.

Taslim is repped by ICM Partners.