Mortal Engines is a 2018 post-apocalyptic steampunk film directed by Christian Rivers from a screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson, based on the 2001 novel of the same name by Philip Reeve.

It stars Hera Hilmar, Robert Sheehan, Hugo Weaving, Jihae, Ronan Raftery, Leila George, Patrick Malahide, and Stephen Lang.

An American–New Zealand co-production, the film is set in a post-apocalyptic world where entire cities have been mounted on wheels and motorised, and practice municipal Darwinism; its movie universe is different from that of the books.

The city of London captures a small Bavarian mining town called Salzhaken, absorbing its population and resources, under orders of Lord Mayor Magnus Crome.

After questioning Hester, Tom realizes Pandora discovered a computer core for MEDUSA, a quantum energy-based superweapon used by the belligerents during the Sixty Minute War to instantly destroy entire cities, albeit shattering the Earth's crust into a thousand pieces that have rearranged the former continents.

[13] In December 2009, New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson was reported to have begun development of a film based on Philip Reeve's novel Mortal Engines.

[15] The script was written by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, while Media Rights Capital and Universal Pictures would be financing the film.

[21] Principal photography on the film began in April 2017, with shooting occurring at Stone Street Studios in Wellington, New Zealand, and was completed in July 2017.

In the United States and Canada, Mortal Engines was released alongside Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and The Mule, and was initially projected to gross $10–13 million from 3,103 theaters in its opening weekend.

The website's consensus reads: "Mortal Engines has no shortage of eye-catching special effects, but lacks enough high-octane narrative fuel to give this futuristic fantasy sufficient cinematic combustion.

"[34] Similarly, The Daily Telegraph's Tim Robey awarded Mortal Engines 2/5 stars, describing the film as a "mechanical, soulless dystopian theme park ride to nowhere.

"[35] Variety reviewer Andrew Barker praised Mortal Engines's opening chase sequence but criticized the "unwieldy, baffling, exhausting, and unintentionally hysterical" plot development.

[37] Sandra Hall of The Sydney Morning Herald praised Peter Jackson for his world-building and Mortal Engines's social, political, and historical commentary, awarding it 4 out of 5.

"[40] Ben Kenigsberg of The New York Times observed that the movie borrowed elements from other films including Star Wars, Mad Max, The Matrix, and The Lord of the Rings.

[43] Sandy Schaffer of Screen Rant awarded the film 2.5 out of 5, praising Mortal Engines' world design and visuals but criticizing what she termed as "its uninspired narrative and ungainly filmmaking.

"[44] Philip Reeve, author of the Mortal Engines novels, praised the film, stating, "Christian Rivers has done a fantastic job – a huge, visually awesome action movie with perfect pace and a genuine emotional core ...