Mortal Kombat II was originally supposed to be released this year, but Warner Bros. Pictures made the decision to move the release to 2026. While the additional wait will be painful, the studio released a cool behind-the-scenes featurette and bew key art today in conjunction with a showcase panel at New York Comic-Con.
The featurette highlights stars like Karl Urban (Johnny Cage), Hiroyuki Sanada (Scorpion), and Martyn Ford (Shao Kahn) sharing their thoughts on the film and why it must be watched on IMAX.
One of the highlights of the featurette is Sanada talking about the first time he met Urban on set. Sanada says that he immediately thoughts, “He’s Johnny Cage! Oh my gosh!”
Mortal Kombat is a beloved and iconic franchise and while the first film had a lot of enticing elements, it ultimately fell a little short due to the fact that it did not have the franchise defining tournament. With this sequel, the tournament we’ve all been waiting for is finally here, and the action is likely to be epic.
Mortal Kombat II releases May 15, 2026 in North America and May 13, 2026 internationally.
About Mortal Kombat II:
From New Line Cinema comes the latest high-stakes installment in the blockbuster video game franchise in all its brutal glory, Mortal Kombat II.  This time, the fan favorite champions—now joined by Johnny Cage himself—are pitted against one another in the ultimate, no-holds barred, gory battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders.
Karl Urban stars as Johnny Cage, alongside Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, with Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden, Joe Taslim as Bi-Han, and Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi and Scorpion.
Director Simon McQuoid returns to helm the follow up to his explosive 2021 cinematic adventure, from a screenplay by Jeremy Slater, based on the videogame created by Ed Boon and John Tobias.  The film is produced by Todd Garner, James Wan, Toby Emmerich, E. Bennett Walsh and McQuoid, and executive produced by Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Slater and Lawrence Kasanoff.
Joining McQuoid behind the camera are director of photography Stephen F. Windon, production designer Yohei Taneda, editor Stuart Levy and costume designer Cappi Ireland, with casting by Rich Delia and music by Benjamin Wallfisch.
New Line Cinema Presents an Atomic Monster/Broken Road Production, a Fireside Films Production, Mortal Kombat II.  The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, only in theaters and IMAX® across North America on May 15, 2026, and internationally beginning 13 May 2026.
Ron is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of POC Culture. Â He is a big believer in the power and impact of pop culture and the importance of representation in media.
