Mortal Kombat II’ Delayed to May 2026 for Bigger Box Office Blo
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Warner Bros. and New Line have officially moved the release of Mortal Kombat II from October 24, 2025 to May 15, 2026, shifting the brutal sequel into a prime summer slot.
The decision comes after the film’s red-band trailer shattered records with 107 million global views, signaling massive fan interest. But instead of competing with a packed October lineup — including Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere and Regretting You — the studio is banking on the success of its mid-May strategy, which paid off this year with Final Destination: Bloodlines opening to $51.6M and grossing $301M worldwide.
Directed by Simon McQuoid, the sequel stars Karl Urban as fan-favorite Johnny Cage, joining returning cast members Lewis Tan, Ludi Lin, Jessica McNamee, Mehcad Brooks, Josh Lawson, Chin Han, Joe Taslim, Tadanobu Asano, and Hiroyuki Sanada. New additions include Adeline Rudolph, Tati Gabrielle, and Damon Herriman.
Early test screenings have been strong, and the studio is positioning the film to go head-to-head with Amazon MGM’s Is God Is and an untitled Neon release. Warner Bros. had already reserved the May date via ComScore.
The screenplay is by Jeremy Slater, based on the iconic video game created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. Producers include Todd Garner, James Wan, Toby Emmerich, E. Bennett Walsh, and McQuoid, with executive producers Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Jeremy Slater, and Lawrence Kasanoff.
📖 Plot Tease: In part two, Earthrealm’s champions — now joined by Johnny Cage — face off in a gory, no-holds-barred tournament to stop Shao Kahn’s dark rule from consuming the realm.
To date, the Mortal Kombat franchise has grossed $257.8M globally, and expectations for the sequel are sky-high.
Warner Bros. pushes the highly anticipated sequel to next summer, betting on a stronger theatrical run in May — and avoiding a crowded Halloween season.
Warner Bros. and New Line have officially moved the release of Mortal Kombat II from October 24, 2025 to May 15, 2026, shifting the brutal sequel into a prime summer slot.
Karl Urban and Adeline Rudolph in Mortal Kombat II (2025) | Image : Warner Bros.
The decision comes after the film’s red-band trailer shattered records with 107 million global views, signaling massive fan interest. But instead of competing with a packed October lineup — including Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere and Regretting You — the studio is banking on the success of its mid-May strategy, which paid off this year with Final Destination: Bloodlines opening to $51.6M and grossing $301M worldwide.
Karl Urban, Mehcad Brooks, Jessica McNamee, and Ludi Lin in Mortal Kombat II (2025) | Image : Warner Bros.
Directed by Simon McQuoid, the sequel stars Karl Urban as fan-favorite Johnny Cage, joining returning cast members Lewis Tan, Ludi Lin, Jessica McNamee, Mehcad Brooks, Josh Lawson, Chin Han, Joe Taslim, Tadanobu Asano, and Hiroyuki Sanada. New additions include Adeline Rudolph, Tati Gabrielle, and Damon Herriman.
Josh Lawson in Mortal Kombat II (2025) | Image : Warner Bros.
Early test screenings have been strong, and the studio is positioning the film to go head-to-head with Amazon MGM’s Is God Is and an untitled Neon release. Warner Bros. had already reserved the May date via ComScore.
Mortal Kombat II (2025) | Image : Warner Bros.
The screenplay is by Jeremy Slater, based on the iconic video game created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. Producers include Todd Garner, James Wan, Toby Emmerich, E. Bennett Walsh, and McQuoid, with executive producers Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Jeremy Slater, and Lawrence Kasanoff.
📖 Plot Tease: In part two, Earthrealm’s champions — now joined by Johnny Cage — face off in a gory, no-holds-barred tournament to stop Shao Kahn’s dark rule from consuming the realm.
To date, the Mortal Kombat franchise has grossed $257.8M globally, and expectations for the sequel are sky-high.
