It seems there might be another “video game renaissance” in the world of Hollywood, and whether it goes better than the last one remains to be seen. After all, with successes featuring Mario, Sonic, Pikachu, and Pedro Pascal, it’s not hard to see why people are trying to bank on what is already established instead of trying to do something new. To that end, its been confirmed, aka Konfirmed, that Mortal Kombat 2 has begun production. The reveal came via director James Wan, who posted on Instagram a director reel showing that the filming has started. So that means we might see more things from production as time passes.
The sequel will follow the live-action reboot that debuted in 2021 as part of HBO Max’s special “release plan.” If you recall, to save money and ensure viewership, they launched movies on the service on the same day they were released in theaters, as the pandemic was still going on and people were hesitant to be in such places. It was a success on both sides of the equation, as the reboot film was one of the highest-watched premieres on HBO Max.
The reboot film focused on a new character named Cole Young, who we would find out is a descendant of the legendary character Scorpion. He was brought into the war for Earthrealm and had to fight off the machinations of the vile Shang Tsung alongside allies like Liu Kang, Jax, Sonya Blade, and Raiden.
It was quite a departure from the original film, and many people called it out for that. However, Mortal Kombat 2 seeks to “right the ship” in a big way by finally focusing on the tournament. To that end, we’ll see more Kombatants show up, including the long-awaited arrival of Johnny Cage, who Karl Urban will play.
He won’t be the only character to arrive, as Shao Khan, Sindel, Jade, and more will appear alongside those who survived the first film and possibly those who died and yet are brought back!
One thing that the first movie had going for it was the Fatalities. They went full R-Rating to highlight the brutality of the deaths, and they were a highlight for sure. So you can bet James Wan will go full-tilt to highlight the new fighters in the tournament setting.
The key difference will be that the movie will only release in theaters to start, so no doubt the production studios are hoping for a big turnout when it arrives.
