Truth be told, despite how its third act tees up a sequel, I didn’t really think Mortal Kombat 2 would ever see the light of day. Don’t get me wrong. I saw where they going with it. We all did. The main obstacle, however, was the video game adaptation’s shocking overall quality. Incompetent action cinematography that squandered its cast members’ bona fide martial arts talents and its R-rating… dogshit writing that reminded you how silly the entire premise was… dogshit pacing that reminded you how much time was left on the clock. 2021’s Mortal Kombat reboot was what I like to call a flight movie (cinema you only engage with when you’re thousands of feet above ground with no other choice). Yet here we are. Reporting to you the project has been given the green light by Warner Bros and New Line Cinema.
Thankfully, the studios are well aware of the previous film’s shortcomings and have since enlisted the help of Moon Knight head writer Jeremy Slater to replace both Greg Russo and Dave Callaham. Although a good measure of caution is just as necessary with Slater. For reference, the man is also credited with penning the Fantastic Four reboot in collaboration with Josh Trank and Simon Kinberg, episodes of Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy, as well as an early draft for the crimson streamer’s disastrous Death Note adaptation. As long as the bloke actually features the titular tournament in the story this time around, it’ll certainly have a leg up on the first.
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For the time being, it’s unclear what direction Mortal Kombat 2 will take. As some of you may recall, shortly after the Earthrealm champions accept the call to adventure, enter the special world, and prevail having changed in the Campbellian-structure of things, Tadanobu Asano’s Lord Raiden vows to train the new warriors for the coming adversities, while Lewis Tan’s Cole Young heads to Los Angeles in search of the one and only action movie star turned iconic hero, Johnny Cage. If I were a betting man, my money would probably be on this being the key focus.
Still, there’s no word on whether Lewis Tan and Tadanoby Asano will return as Cole Young and Lord Raiden, respectively. Nor have we received confirmation that audiences can expect Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Josh Lawson as Kano, Mehcad Brooks as Jax Briggs, Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Chin Han as Shang Tsung, Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi/Scorpion, and especially not Joe Taslim as Bi-Han/Sub-Sezo (because… you know…). Furthermore, if Warner Bros and New Line Cinema aren’t above switching out the production’s scribe, what’s to say original director Simon McQuiod is a guarantee?
Obviously, the boardroom suits saw a streaming hit in Mortal Kombat and now Mortal Kombat 2. Given the former’s $83.6 million box office take against its $55 million budget (note: the Hollywood profit rule) on top of being universally panned, the BH outlook isn’t hopeful. But we – read: I – am more than happy to be proven wrong.
Let’s see where this one lands.
