Mortal Kombat II Director Simon McQuoid Isn’t Sure Whether Third Movie Will Happen

Even though a third film in the franchise was confirmed before Mortal Kombat II premiered this May, director Simon McQuoid recently told an interviewer he's unsure about moving forward with another installment, especially given the second film's financial struggles.

In a recent conversation with The Wrap, McQuoid claimed Mortal Kombat III is still "going through its life cycle," and he's not sure whether he'll be involved. You can check out the director's full comments below:

“I think it’s still going through its life cycle. So I don’t know yet. I’m not sure.

I feel like there are other stories that I want to tell that aren’t necessarily in “Mortal Kombat” and I have multiple things in development, one of which we’re just casting now and that’s not “Mortal Kombat” at all, something that is in the real world and very much a deep dive into a singular character and character study. I’m excited about it. But I never want to close doors. I’m just always trying to open doors.”

As we know, Mortal Kombat II became the highest-grossing film in the franchise's history, but it still fell short at the box office for Warner Bros., pulling in just $129 million against a budget of nearly $80 million.

Given that, the third Mortal Kombat installment—already officially confirmed, with a completed script —could now be facing real uncertainty. There's been no official word on cancellation so far, and hopefully there won't be. Franchise creator Ed Boon has previously suggested that, under the right circumstances, the series could eventually reach around ten films, including long-hoped-for spin-offs like Shaolin Monks and a standalone Sub-Zero film, an idea actor Joe Taslim recently confirmed has been discussed.