Mortal Kombat II (film)

Mortal Kombat II is a 2026 American martial arts dark fantasy film based on the video-game series created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. It is the sequel to Mortal Kombat (2021) and is the fourth installment in the Mortal Kombat film series. Directed by Simon McQuoid and written by Jeremy Slater, it stars returning cast members Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Lewis Tan, Max Huang, Damon Herriman (in a different role), Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano, Joe Taslim, and Hiroyuki Sanada, with Karl Urban, Adeline Rudolph, Martyn Ford, and Tati Gabrielle joining the cast. The film follows Johnny Cage, a martial arts actor who is recruited by the thunder god Raiden and Sonya Blade to join his fellow Earthrealm fighters in an interdimensional tournament against the Outworld warriors and stop the tyrannical emperor Shao Kahn, with the help of Edenian princess Kitana. Following the release of Mortal Kombat in April 2021, producer Todd Garner, writer Greg Russo, and director McQuoid began conversations about the future of the franchise, including standalone films focused on Johnny Cage and Bi-Han / Sub-Zero, and a sequel to the 2021 film. By 2022, New Line Cinema green-lit the sequel, with Slater penning the screenplay and McQuoid returning to direct. Filming began in June 2023 in Australia, was paused in mid-July due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, resumed in mid-November, and concluded in late January 2024. Mortal Kombat II premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre on April 27, 2026, and was theatrically released in the United States on May 8, 2026, by Warner Bros. Pictures. It has grossed $122 million worldwide on an $80 million production budget and, while it was rated better than its predecessor, received mixed reviews from critics. A third film is in development, but not yet greenlit and depends on the reception of Mortal Kombat II.