The Midway bankruptcy proceedings just got a bit more complicated. According to a court document found by GamePolitics, Lawrence Kasanoff, who served as a producer for both of the live-action Mortal Kombat films, has filed suit against Midway in an attempt to prevent Warner Bros. from acquiring some of the company’s notable properties. Warner’s $33 million bid was reported in May, and if approved, would net the company numerous Midway assets, including the Mortal Kombat IP and the Chicago studio.

At the heart of the suit seems to be Kasanoff’s right to produce future films and television shows based on the franchise, a license he claims is both perpetual and exclusive. Kasanoff is currently listed as producer for the third Mortal Kombat film, which is scheduled for a 2010 release. The plaintiff in the case is Threshold Entertainment, of which Kasanoff is chairman and CEO.

If Kasanoff’s declarations are true, then he would seem to have a valid case. However, I find his assertion that Mortal Kombat would not be as popular sans his contributions to be ludicrous at best, and nursing-home insane at worst.

You see, I was under the impression that the mega-popular, violence-laden arcade and console releases put the series on the map. Even though Kasanoff claims that discussions of a feature film first arose in 1993, the first Mortal Kombat movie didn’t hit theaters until 1995, which was after the first two games had released for numerous home systems. So, as I see it, the franchise had plenty of time to amass a large following, prior to its appearance in cinemas.

Besides, it’s not like Midway would have stopped releasing Mortal Kombat games in the absence of the films. The empire would have continued to expand regardless.

Plus, what about all of the publicity that the IP got when parents and politicians flipped out over its violent content, particularly the blood and Fatalities? When Mortal Kombat debuted, there was no ESRB. That particular organization was formed in 1994, after it was decided that games needed to be rated for content. While not the lone reason for the group’s formation, Mortal Kombat undoubtedly played a pivotal role.

If anything, the films did more harm than good. Alright, so the first film wasn’t that bad, but Annihilation was atrocious. It was so bad that George Washington Carver, who had absolutely no association with the film, probably spun in his grave after its debut in theaters. If you are ever in need of a really good laugh, or an epic cry, I suggest you pick it up. It is actual proof that God does not exist.

Look, I am not saying that Kasanoff didn’t help bring the series to the masses. Both films, despite being panned by critics, were commercially successful. According to Kasanoff, the first theatrical release made $122 million on a $25 million budget, while the sequel’s domestic total of $51 million topped its $30 million budget. Unfortunately, I was one of the jackasses who actually paid to see the second film. Hindsight is 20/20. Threshold was also responsible for producing other Mortal Kombat-related projects, including mortalkombat.com, a TNT special titled Mortal Kombat: Behind the Dragon, and the movie soundtracks.

So, while I don’t refute the legitimacy of Kasanoff’s case, I do scoff at the notion that he was more important to the rise of Mortal Kombat than Ed Boon and John Tobias, the two gents who created the IP.

Source: U.S. Bankruptcy Court filing via GamePolitics