Mortal Kombat II gets its HBO Max fight date
The Warner Bros. and New Line sequel starts streaming July 24 before arriving on HBO the following day, according to Deadline.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
Mortal Kombat II is moving from the multiplex to the couch, with Deadline reporting that the Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema sequel will begin streaming on HBO Max on July 24.
The action film will then make its HBO channel debut one day later, according to Deadline, giving fans of the video game franchise a quick second round after its theatrical run earlier this year.
Deadline reported that Simon McQuoid directed the movie from a screenplay by Jeremy Slater. The sequel brings back the franchise’s screen fighters and adds Johnny Cage, played by Karl Urban, to the tournament chaos.
According to Deadline, the plot follows the champions as they are forced into a bloody fight to stop Shao Kahn, played by Martyn Ford, whose rule threatens Earthrealm and its defenders.
The cast also includes Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano, Joe Taslim and Hiroyuki Sanada, Deadline reported.
Box office and release shuffle
Deadline said Mortal Kombat II opened in early May with $63 million worldwide. Its total run reached $79.8 million in North America and $129.5 million globally, according to the outlet.
The film’s trip to theaters changed course more than once. Deadline reported that it was first dated for Oct. 24, 2025, then shifted to May 15, before moving up one more week into the Mother’s Day frame alongside Amazon MGM’s The Sheep Detectives.
The movie also had a loud online warm-up. Deadline reported that its trailer set a red-band record a year ago this week, drawing 106.8 million views worldwide in its first 24 hours.
Who made the sequel
Deadline listed Todd Garner, E. Bennett Walsh, James Wan, Toby Emmerich and McQuoid as producers on Mortal Kombat II.
The executive producers are Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Jeremy Slater, Ed Boon, John Tobias and Lawrence Kasanoff, according to Deadline. The outlet noted that Boon co-created the Mortal Kombat video game with Tobias.
The HBO Max launch gives the sequel a new platform after a theatrical campaign built around familiar game characters, returning cast members and Urban’s arrival as Johnny Cage.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.