My major problem with blockbuster movies nowadays is that the studios try to appeal to everybody, any sex or age. It makes no sense to make a MK movie that is PG-13. Deadpool has shown that it's important to stick to the topic. This is why I think that a MK movie should stick to the source material. No MK movie, R-Rated or PG-13, will ever be as successful as Titanic or Avatar and it doesn't have to. At least there would be a real Mortal Kombat movie no one is ashamed of. In order to have less pressure on box office the studio should hire less "stars" and more newcomers. Masked or unrecognizable characters should be professional fighters anyways. "Stars" like Megan Fox, who wants to play Kitana, would create another trash movie. I want female fighters to be played by real fighting women, not by oversexed looking girls. Sonya should look like a soldier, Kitana like an assassin.
[MENTION=17921]Mr. Ice[/MENTION]: Mortal Kombat is not that unpopular. For example in Russia and other former soviet countries MK is a 90s cult. It is the most controversial fighting game in the world. I am sure that a R-rated MK movie would be more successful than PG-13. At least they could make two versions: theatrical (PG-13) with cut violence scenes and a director's cut on Blu Ray 100% uncut. I really want a Raid-styled MK movie.
My cast would look like this:
Liu Kang - Rain (from Ninja Assassin) or Shin Koyamada
Kung Lao - Iko Uwais (from Raid)
Sonya Blade - Ronda Rousey (UFC)
Johnny Cage - Scott Adkins, no need to be a stunt double in a movie about fighting
Jax - Michael J. Fox
Scorpion - Ian Anthony Dale or Peter Shinkoda (Nobu from Daredevil, he uses a spear in season 1)
Sub-Zero - Byung-hun Lee
Kano - Jason Statham
Shang Tsung (young) - Hiroyuki Sanada (villain from Wolverine) or Peter Shinkoda (Nobu from Daredevil)
Shang Tsung (old) - Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (of course)
Raiden - Christopher Lambert would be cool. Or... Which actor would fit?
EDIT: This article could be mine. Same opinion:
http://nerdist.com/7-things-we-want-to-see-in-a-mortal-kombat-movie-reboot/