Mortal Kombat 2: Sequel Gets Official Production Update

By Richard Nebens Updated:
Mortal Kombat movie

Mortal Kombat 2's production is officially ramping up.

Director Simon McQuoid will be back in the saddle for the upcoming video game movie sequel as he looks to continue the success that the original Mortal Kombat brought in theaters and HBO Max during its dual release in 2021.

While story details are still being worked out behind the scenes, Warner Bros. hopes to shine even brighter with this sequel, following up on one of the movies that helped bring theaters back early in the pandemic a couple of years ago.

And considering the wild success that other video game adaptations like The Last of Us and The Super Mario Bros. Movie have seen this year alone, hopes are high that Mortal Kombat 2 will follow in their massive footsteps.

Mortal Kombat 2 Gets Production Update

Mortal Kombat 2
Mortal Kombat 2

Mortal Kombat 2 producer Todd Garner confirmed that the sequel will begin production in Australia, with filming happening from June to September this year.

Replying to a report from Geek Vibes Nation on Twitter, Garner shared his sense of humor in asking why he had housing set up in Australia:

"I was wondering why I had an apt in Australia...."

Warner Bros. also hired Moon Knight Season 1 head writer Jeremy Slater to write the script for the anticipated sequel in January 2022.

Speaking exclusively with The Direct, Slater teased the movie's tone, indicating that it won't necessarily "have the same tone as the MCU." But what he's hoping to do is give fans something they're not expecting and include some of the wildest characters and plot points that he possibly can:

"I don’t think it’s necessarily going to have the same tone as the MCU, but it’s definitely going to have some of my sensibilities. That was part of my pitch to them. This is 'Mortal Kombat.' We have guys who are ripping off their faces and breathing fire—it’s a weird universe, let’s embrace some of that weirdness, and let’s make a 'Mortal Kombat 'sequel that no one is expecting and that can kind of sneak in and blow everyone away. We’re still really early in that process, but I’m having a blast with this script."

Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon also teased an exciting update for the live-action sequel, sharing a Tweet revealing that he was "reading exciting scripts!" for the new outing.

Will Mortal Kombat 2 Reach Expected Heights?

Hearing that Mortal Kombat 2 is prepping to shoot in Australia this summer is certainly an exciting prospect, especially considering how video game projects are having such a surge in Hollywood these days.

Super Mario Bros. has already become the highest-grossing movie of the year, even though it struggled mightily with critics, while The Last of Us continues its own highly impressive run on HBO Max with an upcoming Season 2.

With Warner Bros. slowly making progress on production for Mortal Kombat 2, this sequel should have more of its details settled in over the next couple of weeks in terms of casting and behind-the-scenes talent.

And with names like Baraka, Johnny Cage, and Shao Kahn still waiting in the wings to appear alongside Lewis Tan's Cole Young and Hiroyuki Sanada's Scorpion, plenty of work is still left to be done to push this story forward in the best way possible.

Mortal Kombat 2 is still in pre-production, and the sequel doesn't have a release date yet.

- About The Author: Richard Nebens
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.