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Search every verified Todd Garner interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Todd Garner, producer of the Mortal Kombat film franchise, discussed the development of the upcoming sequel in an August 2025 interview. He stated that the production team took "a lot of advisement from the fans" after the first film and described the positive reception of the sequel's trailer as a result of "all of us working together." Garner noted that the franchise has "a plan further down the line" and that characters like Goro and Rain, who were cut from earlier films due to budget constraints, are intended to appear in future installments. He also addressed fan reactions to character designs, saying that creative decisions such as Jade's shaved head were "not politicized at all" and were made to fit the story's setting. In a 2020 podcast appearance, Garner discussed the financial realities of film production. He described the producer's role as one of constant "hustle," noting that most producers "don't get paid until the movie gets made." He also commented on the industry's shift toward risk-averse greenlighting, stating that "studios have greenlight committees with 15 people weighing in" and that "the easiest way to get a movie made is to have a book with a great story and hook." Garner recalled betting that the film *Waterboy* would outperform Oprah Winfrey's *Beloved* at the box office, which he said it did.
“My job as a producer is to manage the franchise for New Line Cinema and Warner Brothers. They're my PE and also Nether Realm and Ed Boon. So I'm not the person who's making all those decisions. That's the director's domain. My job is to facilitate and manage the franchise in totality.”
“After the first movie, we digested all of the feedback not just from the fans but from the testing of the movie and really honed in on figuring out exactly what we wanted that second movie to be. We're hoping this is not the end of the franchise. We have a plan further down the line for things.”
“We don't want to do everything in this movie and then have nowhere to go with these characters. For example, Kano getting the metal plate in his eye will happen. There are things planned because we want to develop these characters over time.”
“We can adjust and make it better every time. We start the plan and as we test the movie and listen to fans, the movie evolves until it can't evolve anymore because of money and time.”
“We are not trying to be woke or political with Jade's look. In this movie, where we meet Jade during Shao Kahn's reign, the shaved head look seemed the best representation. This was a creative decision, not politicized at all.”
“Martin Ford is not only a very large human but an incredible actor who really cares and works hard. The prosthetics were difficult and hot in Australia, but the cast cared deeply about the fans and the franchise.”
“Carl Urban searched us out, pitched his version of Johnny Cage. He's an incredible actor known for Star Trek, The Boys, and Lord of the Rings. He brings a flawed, evolving character fitting Joseph Campbell's hero's journey.”
“We want the Mortal Kombat franchise to get better with every movie, expand in scope and audience, and have other filmmakers bring their perspectives. The franchise deserves to be taken care of and grown.”
“There are plans for Rain in the franchise. Rain was in the first script of the first movie but had to be taken out due to expense. We have an incredible fight sequence planned and want to include that character in the franchise.”
“I love interacting with the fans. It's an honor to work on this franchise and be part of it. I want to do right by it and make movies that people enjoy and entertain.”
“When you become a producer you have to hustle; it's all on you, living movie to movie. Most producers don't get paid until the movie gets made, which is crazy.”
“Studios have greenlight committees with 15 people weighing in on whether to make a movie, which is why more movies look the same because everyone is trying to mitigate risk.”
“Back in the day, one person would greenlight a movie based on gut feeling, but now with committees, the process is more cautious and risk-averse.”
“The easiest way to get a movie made is to have a book with a great story and hook, like Fifty Shades of Grey, because it lays out characters and story clearly.”
“Comedy movies are really tough to make because what works in stand-up doesn't always translate well on paper or on screen.”
Today I sit down with Hollywood Producer Todd Garner! Todd's extensive resume includes Waterboy, the Animal, xXx, Anger ...
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