‘Mortal Kombat II’ Will Add More Fuel to a Hot Box Office and Could Launch a New Franchise

With “Michael” holding strong and “The Devil Wears Prada 2” expected to have a big second weekend from Mother’s Day audiences, the box office is expected to stay burning hot. But it’s going to get some more fuel courtesy of Warner Bros./New Line’s gory video game film “Mortal Kombat II.”

With two films driven by female moviegoers replacing “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” and “Project Hail Mary” — part of the fruits of Hollywood’s recent streak of more films for women — the market is wide open for a straight-down-the-middle fanboy-driven summer blockbuster. It’s a reason why Warner Bros. moved “Mortal Kombat II” from its original October 2025 release date to a mid-May slot where, one year ago, it launched New Line’s “Final Destination: Bloodlines” to a franchise record $317.8 million global theatrical run.

It’s quite possible that “Mortal Kombat II” could enjoy similar success. Warner is keeping its projections conservative at $35 million domestic and $65 million worldwide this weekend. But exhibitor sources and rival distributors tell TheWrap they believe “MK II” has a chance to open closer to the $51 million domestic opening of “Final Destination: Bloodlines,” which would put it well on its way to turning a theatrical profit against its reported $68 million budget before marketing costs.

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