Finish him!
“Mortal Kombat” will fight its way back into theaters, but this time the big-screen adaptation of the popular video game will come courtesy of “Glee” concert movie director and choreographer Kevin Tancharoen.
The new film will be a co-production between New Line and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
The studio will produce the film next year, on track for a 2013 release.
Tancharoen directed the short film “Mortal Kombat: Rebirth” to show that he could handle ultra-violent tournament fighting as easily as he once did Britney Spears videos.
It was a hit with the YouTube crowd, which watched the action more than 10 million times. A multi-episode series called "Mortal Kombat: Legacy" that he filmed as a follow-up attracted some 50 million viewers.
New Line apparently was convinced the new, grittier take would be a hit with moviegoers.
In addition to Tnacharoen, New Line has tapped Oren Uziel, who also wrote the script to the short film, to handle screenwriting duties.
The original 1995 adaptation of the game grossed $122 million on a $20 million budget, but the 1997 sequel, “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation” banked a disappointing $52 million.
The Hollywood Reporter first reported the news.
