Mortal Kombat reboot to be filmed at Adelaide Studios in Glenside, meaning 580 jobs

A film reboot for Mortal Kombat, one of the biggest — and most violent — video game franchises of all time will be shot at Adelaide Studios, overseen by Saw co-creator James Wan and creating 580 jobs and work for about 1500 extras.

A screenshot from the video game Mortal Kombat 11. The movie will be based on the hugely popular martial arts game.

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A rebooted Mortal Kombat movie — the largest film in South Australia’s production history — will inject more than $70 million into the state’s economy.

Premier Steven Marshall on Tuesday announced South Australia would be the stage for the film, creating 580 jobs and work for about 1500 extras.

Mortal Kombat, based on the violent martial arts video game franchise, would be shot at Adelaide Studios in Glenside.

The US-based New Line Cinema — a subsidiary of Warner Bros — will use the state’s crews and acting talent.

Post-production, including visual effects, will also be done in South Australia’s internationally acclaimed visual effects and post-production facilities.

Mr Marshall said the film would showcase the state’s production skills to the world.

“Mortal Kombat will be the largest film production in South Australia’s history and highlights the importance of engaging with the world’s major production houses,” Mr Marshall said.

“The State Government’s investment in Mortal Kombat will enhance the scope and reach of our production and post-production capabilities, bringing the promise of fantastic new jobs for the local film industry.”

A screengrab from the Mortal Kombat X video game.

He said the Government would provide a 10 per cent rebate on the money spent in SA — in line with long-running arrangements to attract filmmakers.

“We’re going to be doing everything we can to bend over backwards to make sure this is a success in SA because we want more of these blockbusters. We know this will grow our industry … and keep young people in this state.”

Mortal Kombat is one of the highest-grossing video game and media franchises in history, spinning off into more than 20 video games, two movies in the 1990s, a TV series, graphic novels and more.

The games are renowned for their controversial high level of violence in “finishing” moves that allow players to kill or maim opponents. The original game led to video game classification in Australia and the Entertainment Software Rating Board in the US, as well as court cases and a Senate review.

A grab from the 1995 movie version of the Mortal Kombat.

Pre-production on the film has already started. Full-scale production work will begin later this year, with shooting completed by Christmas.

Angela Heesom, owner of Adelaide Studios-based Heesom Casting, said her company would initiate talks with the film’s producers in the hope of securing jobs for as many locals as possible.

“I’ve never known this industry to be so buoyant, not only in production but also the training initiatives that the film corp is putting together,” Ms Heesom said.

E. Bennett Walsh, one of Mortal Kombat’s executive producers, said the film’s 580 jobs would be created from “the top down”.

Australian filmmaker Simon McQuoid with Premier Steven Marshall with and American Producer Bennett Walsh at SA Film Corp. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

“What’s different to traditional films is it’s not just department heads and electricians … it’s down to carpenters, it’s down to plumbers and people who can help manufacture,” Walsh said.

Award-winning Australian commercial filmmaker Simon McQuoid will make his directorial debut on Mortal Kombat, which follows the original 1995 film.

“The visual effects companies are here, this fantastic stage is here, the premier is really excited so it all just starts to come together,” McQuoid said.

Mortal Kombat is one of the highest-grossing video game and media franchises in history, spinning off into more than 20 video games, two movies in the 1990s, a TV series, graphic novels and more.

Iris Pantaeva in the 1997 sequel Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.

Saw franchise co-creator James Wan (Aquaman, The Conjuring) and Todd Garner (Isn’t it Romantic, Tag) will produce the film, and its other the executive producers are Larry Kasanoff (Mortal Kombat, True Lies), Michael Clear (The Nun, Lights Out), and Sean Robins (Playing with Fire, Tag).

South Australian Film Corporation & Adelaide Studios chief executive Courtney Gibson said the film would be “a massive shot in the arm” for the state’s film industry, “delivering unprecedented screen spend into the state and a huge number of jobs for South Australians”.

Katherine Beyda, New Line Cinema’s executive vice president of physical production, said the company was looking forward to highlighting South Australian locations, talent and facilities.

“It brings together all of the components we need to make an ambitious action film a success, and we applaud the South Australian Film Corporation for their role in attracting the production to their region,” she said.

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