So as a screenwriter/filmmaker myself, I'm changing things up.
The Great Shaolin Tournament would be the title of the film.
The story revolves around Prince Goro, a half fallen angel/half human four-armed nephilim who has won nine consequective tournaments of the Great Shaolin Tournament. Prince Goro would be one of the main antagonists and be a legitimate thread to everyone.
So, Shang Tsung is a twenty five year-old Chinese black magic sorcerer played by Ken Leung, who is being used by Emperor Shao Kahn who is stuck in the Spiritual Realm. By winning ten tournaments, Kahn will be able to enter the physical realm.
Cast
Johnny Cage is a mixed martial artist who does some Hollywood fight choreography to some major action films, he would be played by Joel Edgerton.
Liu Kang is a former Shaolin monk who moved to the United States, he would be played by Steven Yuen.
Lt. Sonya would be a former US Special Forces operative, who now works for the DEA and is on a manhunt for Kano Takahashi, a half Australian, half Japanese member of the Japanese Yakuza. Kano gave Sonya the name "Blade" after he sliced her up leading to Sonya being sucked into this tournament that's set on an island in the Philippines.
Jackson Briggs is Sonya's partner and enters the tournament on Sonya's behalf. However, his arms are cut off by Kano during a fight. Jackson Briggs is played by Idris Elba, Kano is played by Tom Hardy.
A mysterious ninja enters the tournament to assassinate Shang Tsung by the name of Bi-Han. Along with Bi-Han, another ninja enters the tournament simply called The Scorpion due to his gas-chambered harpoon gun attached to his right arm. Since they both wear black, the tournament organizers give them different coloured ensembles to wear over their ninja garb. Bi-Han is played by Ju Ji Han and The Scorpion is played by Nishikido Ryo.
I would make the film more grounded and deals a lot with Christian mythology. Emperor Shao Kahn serves under Prince Shinnok (a fallen angel) who serves under Baal, Baal is second to Lucifer.
So the spiritual realm is my take on Outworld. The spiritual realm is invisible to us but the powers, princes of this world operate in areas ie. Emperor Kahn uses Iraq as his base of operations in the spiritual realm which has lead to ISIS - due to his demonic power.
He also uses the Roman Collisuem.
There's two twists, a mysterious beggar named Raiden is actually a fallen angel, who exists in the spiritual but can manifest in the physical as a homeless beggar. He controls thunder. He was thrown out of Heaven as is one third of the angels who rebelled against God, however he is angry and bitter against Lucifer for being deceived.
The second twist is that the real Shang Tsung is extremely old, he uses a young doppleganger (his apprentice) to keep the tournament in order.
Just my ideas.
Goro is a beast in the film. It takes Liu Kang, Cage, Jackson to all take him on because he is just Godly strong.
