Mortal Kombat, Warner Bros. The upcoming movie based on the video game series of the same name has seen its release date pushed back. Multiple outlets including IGN and Variety have confirmed that the R-rated film adaptation has been delayed again. However, fans need not worry about a long wait for the movie to arrive. In a press release sent to IGN, Variety, and others, Warner Bros. revealed that Mortal Kombat will now arrive on April 23. It's just a week after the previous release date of April 16, so impatient fans can still get their Fatality fix next month. in theaters or on HBO Max.
Why has the Mortal Kombat release date been moved?
(Image credit: Warner Bros.) Warner Bros. He didn't provide an explanation behind this decision, but we have a few theories as to why Mortal Kombat's release was delayed.
The first is that the studio doesn't want Mortal Kombat to end ticket sales for their other breakout album. Godzilla vs Kong launched simultaneously on HBO Max and in theaters today (March 31), and the MonsterVerse movie is off to a strong start at the box office.
Currently, Godzilla vs Kong has achieved €121 million in international ticket sales, with Chinese audiences accounting for €70 million of that figure. Had Mortal Kombat stuck to its April 16 release, it would have arrived just two weeks after Godzilla vs Kong, and competed with its comrade for ticket sales.
By delaying the release of Mortal Kombat for a week, Warner Bros. you can capitalize on ticket sales for both. Interest in Godzilla vs Kong will likely start to wane on April 23, so releasing Mortal Kombat as soon as that starts happening would be a wise move for Warner Bros. '' part. Of course, it's mostly a business decision, but Warner Bros. You can strengthen your revenue streams this way, instead of your two films competing for audiences, especially in international territories.
Speaking of international movie channels, this also ties in with our other theory. Currently, most of the European theaters are closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Although the European Union is in the grip of a third wave, some European countries are expected to reopen their cinemas to the public on or after April 19. According to ScreenDaily, countries like Germany, the Czech Republic, Portugal, and Switzerland are still planning to open their theaters on and around this date.
The UK, whose vaccination program has allowed it to slowly start lifting lockdown restrictions, won't see its cinemas start opening until April 26. the restrictions were lifted until the end of April at the earliest.
While American viewers can watch Mortal Kombat on HBO Max next month, international audiences will only be able to watch it in theaters, as the streaming service isn't available outside of the United States. If Warner Bros. wants to capitalize on the UK and European markets from a revenue perspective, he's interested in delaying the release of Mortal Kombat until theaters can reopen. Thus, Warner Bros. it will be able to attract European punters and make more money at the international box office.
Considering the state of the film industry a year after the Covid-19 pandemic hit, you can see why the studio wants to make the most of its extensive movie release schedule and start making a profit again.