'Mortal Kombat II' Is "Not the End of the Franchise" According to Producer

Mortal Kombat IIis one of the most highly anticipated films of 2025, and it is set to arrive in theaters later this year on October 24. The sequel follows the 2021 reboot,Mortal Kombat, which was moderately successful. The recently released trailer for the upcoming sequel was action-packed, introducing theHollywood star-turned-hero Johnny Cage, played byKarl Urban. The trailer has been a smash hit so far, amassing 106 million views in its first 24 hours, and it now ranks asthe best ever for a red-band trailer. The key feature of the sequel is the upcoming Mortal Kombat tournament, which will see fighters from Earthrealm and Outworld face off.

Mortal Kombat IIseesSimon McQuiodreturn to direct the sequel after his work on the 2021 film. The script is penned byMoon KnightwriterJeremy Slater,with franchise great,Ed Boon, remaining a mainstay in the creative process.Todd Garneris on board as a producer and, while speaking in an interview with FutureBoyWho, discussed the franchise’s future, teasing what might lie ahead for a third movie.

“We’re hoping that this is not the end of the franchise. There are plans going forward; other characters that aren’t in this movie, characters that may come back… If we’re allowed to do further movies - hopefully this one does well enough - there’s chances to do other things, spin-offs, another sequel to propel the story.”

‘Mortal Kombat II’ Will Introduce New Faces While Telling An Emotional Story

Adapting Mortal Kombat into live-action has been a challenge over the years, and whilethe 2021 Lewis Tan-led rebootwas moderately successful, earning $84 million at the worldwide box office. More was expected. However, it has given the modern reboots a launching pad and, if Garner’s words are sufficient pointers, the franchise is set to enjoy a massive expansion with different characters and angles in focus. In the meantime, the focus remains onMortal Kombat II,which is welcoming a range of newcomers, includingKitana (Adeline Rudolph), the Edenian Jade (Tati Gabrielle), sorcererQuan Chi (Damon Herriman), andShao Kahn (Martyn Ford).

Sequel writer Slaterpreviously discussed what type of story the coming sequel hopesto tell when the film opens in theaters on October 24. “It’s very easy for these things to become three-to-four-hour, sprawling epics,” the writer said, “so you always have to be judicious in cutting things down and [focused on] what’s the emotional story we are telling, and what is the story the audience cares about. Then making sure when you get tothose moments that matter— the fights, the fatalities, the surprises, the deaths — that they land and they are as satisfying as everyone wants them to be.I think we nailed it.”