The Mortal Kombat movie will release in theatres sooner than expected. Warner Bros. announced this week that the action movie based on the video game will come to theatres on January 15, 2021. Previously, it was slated to launch on March 5.

The new January 15 release date is at the start of the Martin Luther King Day weekend in America, which might help improve box office performance.

The Mortal Kombat movie is produced by Aquaman director James Wan, and will be directed by Australian commercials director Simon McQuoid. The movie is currently filming in Adelaide, South Australia.

The Mortal Kombat movie will feature a number of familiar characters from the games, including Liu Kang, Mileena, Jax, Sub-Zero, and Raiden. Check out GameSpot's further coverage to see a rundown of the full cast so far.

The first Mortal Kombat movie, released in 1995, was directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, who would go on to make the Resident Evil series. The movie made more than $120 million worldwide, but its 1997 sequel, Annihilation, was a disappointment by comparison with only $51 million. An internet video series called Mortal Kombat Legacy ran from 2011-2013.

In other news, Warner Bros. announced the release date of the Keanu Reeves-starring The Matrix 4--it's coming out on May 21, 2021. That's the same day that John Wick 4 releases. When Keanu Reeves goes up against Keanu Reeves at the box office, we all win.