Training is over, as the stakes ofMortal Kombat 2’stournament will have consequences for the film and the franchise moving forward. It has been four years sinceMortal Kombatdebuted in theaters and on Max, and the long-anticipated sequelMortal Kombat 2is set to hit theaters in October 2025. A common criticism of 2021’sMortal Kombatwas how it essentially acted as a set-up for the epic tournament played in the games, but it is now the main selling point of the sequel and a major factor in the narrative.
Speaking withEntertainment Weekly,Mortal Kombatvideo game co-creator and creative director of NetherRealm Studios Ed Boon spoke about the stakes ofMortal Kombat 2. If Earthrealm loses its 10th consecutive tournament against Outworld, then the villain Shao Kahn (played by Martin Ford) will be allowed to invade Earth and take over. Boon notably highlighted the tournament nature of the film and how the movie will make sure audiences know who is leading. Boon said:
“They keep score throughout the movie. There’s a visual representation of who is winning…. It’s not just a tournament for the sake of a tournament. There are huge consequences, so you really are keeping score. And there are a lot of twists in it that keep you on your toes.”
Mortal Kombat 2 Star Says Sequel Contains An Epic Number of Fights
Mehcad Brooks, who plays Jax in Mortal Kombat, says the upcoming sequel will have an epic number of fight scenes.
The firstMortal Kombatcentered on Outworld sorcerer Shang Tsung (Chin Han) attempting to kill all of Earthrealm’s champions before the tournament began, but the heroes won and started to recruit more potential fighters, including fan-favorite Johnny Cage,who will be played in the sequel byThe Boys’Karl Urban. New characters joiningMortal Kombat 2include Kitana (Adeline Rudolph), Jade (Tati Gabrielle), Quan Chi (Damon Herriman), Baraka (CJ Bloomfield) and Queen Sindel (Ana Thu Nguyen).
Taking the Fight to the Next Level
Mortal Kombatproved to be a surprise success for Warner Bros. in 2021. While its box office intake might have been smaller than expected due to its opening in April 2021 as theaters were slowly beginning to open up, it blew up in popularity on the then-titled HBO Max.Mortal Kombathad the biggest debut for a movie on the streaming service in 2021, even beating out titles likeGodzilla vs. Kong,Dune, andThe Matrix Resurrections. The audience tuned in for the first film, but will they now rush out for the sequel in theaters?
Mortal Kombat 2will be counting on its massive cast, featuring returning fan favorites and cinematic debuts for popular characters, to be a big enough draw for audiences. SinceMortal Kombatwas released in 2021, video game adaptations have seen a boost in popularity. WithA Minecraft Movielooking at a $60 million opening weekend, that means the five highest-grossing video game movies could all have been released since the COVID-19 pandemic. Warner Bros. certainly hopes thatMortal Kombat 2will not only be a hit at the box office but also become a new tentpole franchise when they are struggling. Warner Bros. might be hoping for a flawless victory, but what they are hoping is at least not to have a box office fatality.
Source:Entertainment Weekly
Mortal Kombat II
