Mortal Kombat is coming back with a new film sequel, and Simon McQuoid is reportedly slated to direct once again.
According to a report from Deadline, the recent Mortal Kombat reboot will be dusted off and sent back into the arena after a surprisingly successful box office run. A previous report suggested the sequel will be written by Moon Knight head writer Jeremy Slater.
Released last year, Mortal Kombat was McQuoid’s directorial debut and managed to dominate the box office when it was released in theaters and on HBO Max back in April 2021.
Surprisingly, the film debuted at #1 at the box office and is still one of HBO’s most-watched movies.
Mortal Kombat tells the story of Cole Young – a washed-up MMA fighter who is completely unaware of his lineage… and has no idea why he’s being hunted by the assassin known only as Sub-Zero. It’s a new take on a franchise that has seen numerous movies, and to be honest, it’s pretty good.
IGN’s own review called it “an origin story and an Avengers-esque superhero team-up all in one. As a result, the first half stalls out a bit as it backs up a dump truck of exposition, and even then some characters that really deserve more time in the spotlight end up being shallow and forgettable. Still, it finds its footing in the second half and delivers a gleefully cheesy and entertaining take on one of gaming’s most historic franchises and a solid starting point for future films.”
Whether or not any of the original film’s stars will return for Mortal Kombat 2 remains to be seen. But Mehcad Brooks as Jaxx was an inspired bit of casting. Let’s just hope we get an interesting roster for the upcoming sequel.
Mortal Kombat stars Lewis Tan as Cole Young alongside Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Mehcad Brooks, Ludi Lin, Max Huang, Tadanobu Asano, Chin Han, Joe Taslim, and Hiroyuki Sanada.
Simon McQuoid directed the film based on a script by Greg Russo and Dava Callaham.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.