Adelaide answers the Mortal Kombat casting call

The state’s biggest film casting call in history attracted at least 2500 hopefuls — but they’ll be fighting for just 1500 roles in the action blockbuster Mortal Kombat to be filmed in SA next month.

The first of about 2500 hopeful extras for the Hollywood action feature Mortal Kombat were at Adelaide Studios by 6am – including at least four who flew in from Melbourne – and the 500-metre queue snaked along Mulberry Road in residential Glenside.

It was the day when tattoos and piercings turned into a plus on a job application and Heesom Casting staff were photographing leg, arm, chest and the occasional face tattoo for their records.

Michael Hanin, a very-fit third dan Taikwondo martial artist who played the Mortal Kombat video game when he was young said he was auditioning for the sake of his three sons, whose names were tattooed in Mandarin on his chest.

“I thought it would be fun for them to see dad as an extra,” he said. I can’t be a star but at least they will see me.”

Dotted among the martial artists and the colourful streets style were the perfect faces of young Japanese and Chinese girls who would never have been near a violent video game like the one on which the film is based.

While the Heesom Casting call-out, the biggest in South Australian film history, was for adults 18 and over, an exception was made for them.

Louise Kates, of Asian descent, said her daughters Ella, 6, and Ava, 9, were not fans but were caught up in the fun of potentially being in a movie.

“I’m auditioning too and my husband is here as well,” she said.

Gallery: South Aussies fight for Mortal Kombat roles

VIEW GALLERY

The Premier, Steven Marshall, dropped in early to rub shoulders in the morning sunshine with amateur hopefuls, none of whom looked much like his constituents.

“It’s fever pitch in Adelaide at the moment, everyone is super excited about Mortal Kombat and we’re only weeks away now from filming starting,” said Mr Marshall who received texts and emails from people looking for parts.

Innovation and Skills Minister, David Pisoni, said the film would bring $70 million to the state and catapulted the screen industry internationally into a new space.

“Next time we go overseas to spruik what we can do here we can talk about an international franchise that is being produced here. So we’re looking forward to Mortal Kombat 2 and Mortal Kombat 3,” he said.

Many in the queue were intimate with the characters and plots of the Mortal Kombat universe which launched in the mid-1990s and which outsold other Xbox games in June when it launched Mortal Kombat 11.

“I grew up playing the games, played them at home on Xbox 360 and Xbox 1 and stuff but I just really love movies and film,” said Reuben Brook-Smith who sells shoes and works in a bar. “It’s not even so much to be in the movie, it’s to see the set and how they’re made, I’m really curious about that.”

Angela Heesom said her agency, which had cast major projects like Deadline Gallipoli and Storm Boy, had taken calls from all over the country since Mortal Kombat was announced.

“We can’t employ enough people at the moment to keep up with it,” she said. “This is probably tenfold what we have ever faced before.

Those who registered today may not hear they were cast until well after shooting begins in mid-September. Ms Heesom said they were looking for average looking men and women through to those with extreme looks and body art and there were parts for Asians and indigenous Australians.

“We are filming through until the middle of December and we will let extras know as we are casting each scene,” she said. “They shouldn’t sit by the phone because it could be two months before we ring them but many of these people here today will be getting roles.”

Mr Pisoni said the casting call was causing ripples around Australia and significantly raised the stakes internationally for South Australia.

“We’ve been producing some great local content and local stories here but they don’t mean much to the Americans,” he said. “Now we can talk about Mortal Kombat, a film that demonstrates we can take on the big jobs.”