In recent years, the major studios and biggest franchises have shied away from officially announcing that sequels/spinoffs are in development and on the way to the big screen before the previous installment has even been released, after being left with egg on their faces too many times to count.
We’re looking at you, The Amazing Spider-Man 3 and 4, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Inhumans, the DCEU’s Cyborg and the final two chapters in the Terminator Salvation, Genisys and Dark Fate trilogies to name a small few. However, Warner Bros.’ recent Mortal Kombat reboot is virtually guaranteed to launch a money-spinning series based on the numbers alone.
It scored the second-biggest opening weekend of the COVID-19 era at the domestic box office, drew in more viewers in three days on HBO Max than Godzilla vs. Kong managed in five, while it’s already recouped the modest $55 million budget from theaters, and fans are clamoring to see more from the world established in Simon McQuoid’s video game adaptation.
Which is why it makes sense that we’ve now heard from our sources – the same ones who told us Zack Snyder’s Justice League was heading to HBO Max long before it was confirmed – that Mortal Kombat 2 has reportedly been given the green light behind the scenes after the boardroom were left impressed by the movie’s performance, with a public announcement expected to happen in the near future.
It’s hardly the most surprising news in the world, of course, but if the studio can keep the costs relatively low by the standards of the effects-heavy action genre, then Mortal Kombat is poised to earn a great deal of money for WB in the long run given the potential for sequels, prequels, spinoffs and even episodic shows set in the same universe.
