New Line’s Mortal Kombat reboot was a hidden gem in 2021, releasing simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max during a time when the future of the theatrical experience was very much in doubt. Although fans found some of the changes to the lore controversial, the movie was a success with audiences, finding enough financial gain for Warner Bros., New Line’s parent company, to greenlight a sequel. Since its announcement, however, very little has been revealed about the status of Mortal Kombat 2 or its plot details.
The first film saw original character Cole Young, a descendant of Hiroyuki Sanada‘s Scorpion played by Lewis Tan, fending off attacks from the villainous forces of Chin Han‘s Shang Tsung alongside other heroes from Earthrealm. The ending tees up a sequel on a much larger scale, with Shang Tsung promising to retaliate his defeat with armies and a victorious Young heading off to find Hollywood movie star, Johnny Cage. Speaking exclusively with Comic Book, Tan confirmed that Mortal Kombat 2 would be a grander tale than the first installment and that the film was still in development despite the many recent shake-ups at Warner Bros.:
Well, it impacts a lot, but not really us in particular because New Line is the studio that is under the branch of Warner Bros. But they’re very happy with the movie, and obviously, it performed really well. It’s one of the most-viewed films of their Warner Bros. slate, even though it came out at the worst time ever possible. But no, we’re full steam ahead. And now, we have Ed Boon with us as well, so we got the stamp of approval from the legend himself. [Number 2] is just going to be absolutely insane. Way bigger.
Lewis Tan
Tan also mentions that franchise creator Ed Boon is now on board with the film series, after not being much involved with, or super supportive of, the 2021 adaptation. That would indicate that Boon likes what he sees from the sequel, and hopefully means the future of the films is very bright. Simon McQuoid will return to direct Mortal Kombat 2, with Moon Knight scribe Jeremy Slater working on the script.
Source: Comic Book
