South Australia is in the international spotlight again with the release of the highly anticipated blockbuster Mortal Kombat, the largest film production ever made in the state. The Warner Bros. action thriller is a super showcase of South Australia’s screen production capability including crew, PDV, and stunning locations.

The film proved the main attraction on it’s opening weekend, ranking as one of the highest R-Rated openers of all time at the box office, and streaming in 3.8million households on HBO Max.

Hollywood came to state capital Adelaide on Sunday 18 April, 2021 with the “black carpet” premiere of the South Australian filmed epic, staged by the SAFC together with Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. at Event Cinemas Marion.

With a capacity crowd of 370 VIPs the black carpet was packed with special celebrity guests including Director Simon McQuoid, South Australian teen star Matilda Kimber, dozens of local extras, Heads of Production and key crew members, and a who’s who of the South Australian screen industry.

Also joining the black carpet action was Icelandic American actor Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, currently in South Australia filming upcoming Stan, HBO and BBC series The Tourist.

Renowned SA post-production houses and Ausfilm Members Rising Sun Pictures, Mr. X, KOJO and Resin, who were all contracted to work on the film’s post-production, were present on the night, with their high calibre work on display on the big screen in the films epic fight sequences.  

The special event also featured an exclusive display of costumes from the film, including Sub-Zero, Mileena, Shang Tsung and an Elite Guard. Check out South Australian newspaper The Advertiser’s black carpet video featuring interviews with the stars, extras and more.

Mortal Kombat is already attracting rave reviews globally not just for its fun, bloody action but for its diversity, with The Advertiser giving it four stars, Yahoo News Singapore calling it a “gory masterpiece”, and the South China Morning Post describing it as “a treat” for fans that “positions its Asian protagonists and antagonists front and centre for the first time”.

The film has also been praised for staying true to its video game roots, with The AU Review saying it “sets a precedent for what is possible within the genre of the video game adaptation”, and Geek Culture praising “the visuals, sound effects, gore, and action are exactly what fans have been looking for”. 

See a selection of photos from the black carpet on the SAFC website here, and even more on the SAFC Facebook page.

Mortal Kombat is cinemas worldwide,  and available for streaming on HBO Max in the US. Watch the first seven minutes of the film online now via Warner Bros.

Featured Image Credit: Matilda Kimber and Simon McQuoid at the Australian premiere of Mortal Kombat in Adelaide, South Australia.

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