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, Warner Bros. Pictures had green-lit the sequel, with Slater set to pen the screenplay and McQuoid returning to direct the project. 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 is scheduled to be theatrically released by Warner Bros. Pictures on May 15, 2026.
Premise
The champions of Earthrealm, joined by Johnny Cage, are forced into battle against one another as they attempt to resist the rule of Shao Kahn, whose rise threatens the survival of Earthrealm and its defenders.[2]
Following the release of Mortal Kombat in April 2021, actor Joe Taslim revealed that he was contracted for four additional Mortal Kombat films, if Warner Bros. Pictures decided to create a franchise.[13] Director Simon McQuoid stated that he was open to returning to direct a sequel if the story for it was good.[14] In an interview after the film's release, McQuoid said that the character Johnny Cage was not introduced in the film because Johnny Cage was a "giant personality" and would throw the film out of balance. He revealed that potential sequels could explore the material for characters like Cage and Kitana. He also expressed that he would like to include more female characters.[15] Co-writer Greg Russo told Collider that he saw the reboot as a trilogy with the first film set before the tournament, the second film set during the tournament and the third film set post-tournament.[16]
In November 2021, producer Todd Garner hinted at a sequel in development on Twitter,[17] and in January 2022, the film was confirmed to be in development with Jeremy Slater writing the script.[18] In May 2022, Slater confirmed plans to include Johnny Cage in the film, after the character had been set up at the end of Mortal Kombat, though he noted his exact role in the story had not been determined.[19] That same month, Slater mentioned the film would "embrace some of [the] weirdness" inherent to the Mortal Kombat franchise, and that he wanted the film to be "unpredictable" and to defy fan expectations.[20] In June 2022, he further explained that the sequel would address both positive and negative fan reactions to the first film.[21] In July 2022, it was announced that the film had been greenlit by New Line and that McQuoid would return to direct the sequel.[22]
Mortal Kombat II is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on May 15, 2026.[31] The film was originally scheduled to release on October 24, 2025.[32]
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