Mortal Kombat fans still have a while to wait to see the sequel to the 2021 reboot arrive on the big screen next year, but a third movie is already in development. At NYCC (via Deadline), it was revealed that Jeremy Slater is hoping to return for more fatalities and tournaments with Mortal Kombat III.
Although Mortal Kombat did not make a spectacular amount of money in 2021, partly due to its release during the Covid pandemic, it did enough to warrant a sequel. Mortal Kombat II was originally scheduled to be released this month, but in September fans were disappointed when the film was given a hefty push to May 2026.
There are no details yet available on what the story of Mortal Kombat III will focus on, but it is likely that, along with much of the crew, many of the classic, established characters like Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage, Jessica McNamee’s Sonya Blade, and possible even Joe Taslim’s Sub-Zero and Hiroyuki Sanada’s Scorpion could be returning.
Why has Warner Bros. chosen to go headlong into another Mortal Kombat movie before the release of the second film? That could come down to the huge reaction to the trailer for Mortal Kombat II, which shattered the record for most views of a red band trailer in July, logging over 107 million views in 24 hours. This was quite a number considering it was not bolstered by a sports event or other special release, and proves that there is a massive audience out there just waiting for their next taste of blood.
‘Mortal Kombat II’s Success Can Lead to Many More Projects
Many franchises happen purely because of fan demand, and Mortal Kombat could be one of them. The first movie did not blow away the box office, but Mortal Kombat II certainly could. Its release in May 2026 could prove to be a clever move, putting the sequel in a position where it can still be seen as a summer blockbuster without having to compete with movies like Supergirl and Spider-Man: Brand New Day a couple of months later.
However, the announcement about Mortal Kombat III already moving forward is not that surprising given the comments made by producer Todd Garner back in August, when he said:
“We’re hoping this is not the end of the [Mortal Kombat] franchise. It’s not like we’re just doing this movie and this is going to be it, hopefully. So, we have a plan further down the line for things. There’s character development […] There are things that are planned because we don’t want to do everything in this movie and then have nowhere to go with these characters. In movies, you’re developing characters over time.”
Garner also mentioned the potential for spinoffs as well as another sequel if Mortal Kombat II does well, but it seems that even without that happening, Warner Bros. believe they have a winner on their hands and don’t want to waste time hanging around to greenlight another installment. If the audience is willing to go along for the ride, it could be some time before anyone shouts “Finish It!”
- Release Date
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May 15, 2026
- Runtime
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116 Minutes
- Writers
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Jeremy Slater
- Producers
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E. Bennett Walsh, Toby Emmerich, Todd Garner, James Wan
- Franchise(s)
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Mortal Kombat