Mortal Kombat II's Director Simon McQuoid Is Satisfied With the Film - Despite The Movie Flopped Financially

Two months ago, Mortal Kombat II premiered in theaters worldwide. The sequel to the 2020’s original movie was also directed by Simon McQuoid. Although fans enjoyed the second installment more than the first, the film didn’t manage to make a strong financial impact. However, the director admitted that he was delighted with how the audience and critics responded to the movie.

As is known, Mortal Kombat II became the highest-rated film in the entire franchise according to Rotten Tomatoes, having 64% from critics and 87% from audiences. In a recent interview with ScreenRant, Simon McQuoid revealed that he didn't expect the film to receive such a positive response. You can check out more detailed comments from his interview below:

“The thing that is the most satisfying part of this — I'm not on social media, I don't really look at anything. But what was really satisfying is in several screenings, some in test screenings, and but also once the film was finished, with a packed audience, was to hear people viscerally respond in a way. We just spent several years theorizing and working it on and having great fun bringing it to life. To get to that, it was a massively satisfying feeling to hear the gasps at the right time, and the laughs. Just to get a real sense that people really enjoyed their experience in the cinema, and how the audience feels, and how they connect with what I am trying to make. It's massively important to me, so to feel that within the cinema was great, and I'll never forget that.”

The movie also managed to become the highest-grossing installment among all the franchise’s adaptations, earning $129 million worldwide. However, with an $80 million budget, it’s still a flop for Warner Bros. As a result, the company decided to release Mortal Kombat II in digital format earlier than expected in order to attract a larger audience and generate additional revenue. Well, it didn’t help: according to FlixPatrol, the movie struggled to secure top positions on platforms like iTunes, Google, Amazon, and others.

Given this situation, the third installment of Mortal Kombat—which has been officially confirmed and already has a completed script —might face serious doubts. However, there have been no official announcements about the cancellation of Mortal Kombat III, and hopefully, there won’t be. Previously, the franchise creator Ed Boon has suggested that, given the right circumstances, there could be around ten Mortal Kombat movies, including the much-anticipated spin-offs like Shaolin Monks and a standalone film focused on Sub-Zero—a project recently discussed, confirmed by the character's actor, Joe Taslim.

Did you enjoy Mortal Kombat II? Are you looking forward for Mortal Kombat III? Share your thoughts in the comments below!