“Mortal Kombat II,” the sequel to 2021’s “Mortal Kombat” and based on the popular, hyper-violent videogame series, arrives in theaters this October. And for the sequel Karl Urban has joined the cast as fan-favorite character Johnny Cage, a braggadocious action movie star who is drawn into the lethal fighting championship. A new red band trailer lays it all out for you, including extra-gooey fatalities. You can watch it right now, above.
This new film sees director Simon McQuoid return, along with much of the cast of the original movie, including, incredibly, “Shōgun” breakout Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion. If you’ll recall, in the last film, the actual “Mortal Kombat” tournament hadn’t actually started yet. There was a weird reset at the end of the film, with the promise of the tournament coming in the second installment. They have made good on that promise, at least, with fighters from all across the world (and, indeed, from other worlds) gathered for a fight to the death. And this trailer definitely earns its red band status, with a number of fatalities shown off, along with some great Easter eggs from the game. (We particularly appreciate the “Get over here!”)
“Mortal Kombat” debuted as a videogame in arcades in 1992. It quickly gained a reputation for its ultra-gory finishing moves (known as fatalities), which sparked outrage from children’s watchdog groups, particularly as the series moved from arcade games to home consoles in the latter half of the decade. The latest videogame installment, “Mortal Kombat 1,” was released to home consoles in 2023.
There were also a pair of successful live-action movies that were released in 1995 and 1997. Both of these were rated PG-13, so the aspect of the game that most enticed players was wholly absent. But they still made money. There were also four animated movies released directly to home video, beginning in 2020. (A fifth is on the way.)
Are you ready to join the fight?
“Mortal Kombat II” arrives in theaters on Oct. 24. Bring extra quarters.
