Mortal Kombat 2 received a new production update amid the ongoing Hollywood actors' strike.
The upcoming sequel to 2021's Mortal Kombat continues the story of Lewis Tan's Cole Young as he recruits fighters for the titular tournament, including the infamous Johnny Cage.
Warner Bros. has yet to unveil Mortal Kombat 2's release date, but producer Todd Garner confirmed in April 2023 that filming was scheduled to start in Australia in June 2023.
Although production began in June, it was halted in mid-July due to the start of the SAG-AFTRA strike in Hollywood.
Mortal Kombat 2's Latest Filming Update
The Wrap shared a brief update about Mortal Kombat 2, noting that the sequel is not expected to restart production until 2024.
Alongside the sequel, other films set to begin filming next year are James Gunn's Superman: Legacy and the Jason Momoa-led Minecraft movie.
Fans initially believed that the sequel's production in Australia would not be affected by the strike since it falls under the umbrella of an international production.
Claire Pullen, executive director of the Australian Writers' Guild, pointed out via Screen Daily in July 2023 that "SAG-AFTRA joining the WGA on strike does make the issues more acute for screen workers all over the world,"
“It’s safe to say that SAG-AFTRA joining the WGA on strike does make the issues more acute for screen workers all over the world, but frankly it should not have got to this point. Both strikes show there is a broader problem with how creative workers in the industry are treated. The studios have cost themselves more in lost production than it would have cost to pay the writers’ claim in full; it’s time to pay creatives properly, agree to fair terms and get back to work.”
Mortal Kombat 2 is directed by Simon McQuoid with a script from Moon Knight showrunner Jeremy Slater. It is based on the video game franchise created by John Tobias and Ed Boon.
When Will Mortal Kombat 2 Release?
The delayed restart of Mortal Kombat 2's production is set to push back its release window.
Prior to delays due to COVID-19, the first Mortal Kombat movie was initially slated to premiere in theaters on March 5, 2021, but it was moved up to January 15, 2021.
This came after filming wrapped for the first film in December 2019 after it started in September of that year.
Assuming a similar filming timeline for Mortal Kombat 2, optimistic fans expected the sequel to be released by late 2024.
With production now set to restart in 2024, it looks like Mortal Kombat 2 won't be released until 2025.
While it's quite disappointing that fans will endure a long wait for the highly-anticipated sequel, giving more time to the cast and crew to create a project that they can be proud of serves as a major factor in Mortal Kombat 2's potential success.
2021's Mortal Kombat is available to stream on Max.
