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Video game adaptations are becoming increasingly popular at the box office, with the likes of A Minecraft Movie, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and Sonic the Hedgehog becoming massive commercial hits. Whereas those films are targeted at families, Warner Bros. has been looking to get in on the trend with a very different type of project: the Mortal Kombat film series, which fully embraces the R-rated sensibilities of the source material. To date, two installments have been released, and there remains the possibility for more. In addition to future mainline entries, fans are curious to see if there will be spinoff films revolving around any of Mortal Kombat‘s iconic characters, including Sub-Zero.
Speaking with Screen Rant, Sub-Zero actor Joe Taslim addressed the possibility of headlining a spinoff movie. “There was a conversation about that. Yeah, but it depends,” he said. “The franchise needs to survive first, and then I believe, if we can somehow … We haven’t heard anything, but if they want to go to the next one, there’s a chance that we have that story.”
What Is the Future of the Mortal Kombat Movie Series?
After 2021’s Mortal Kombat (which was a day-and-date release on HBO Max during the COVID-19 pandemic) earned $84.4 million at the worldwide box office, WB was confident the sequel could become an even bigger hit. Well before Mortal Kombat II hit theaters, the studio gave Mortal Kombat 3 the green light, commissioning Jeremy Slater to write the script. The third movie didn’t receive a release date at that time, but the fact that it had entered development was a sign WB had big plans in store for future Mortal Kombat films.
It remains to be seen if that will still be the case. Mortal Kombat II delivered mixed results. As of this writing, it’s grossed $126.8 million globally against an $80 million production budget (which doesn’t include marketing and distribution expenses). Additionally, reviews were lukewarm, with the Rotten Tomatoes critics score coming in at 64%. The general consensus was that while it’s a fun movie for fans of the video games, it wasn’t exactly a must-see action spectacle. WB was probably hoping for a stronger showing at the box office, especially after they moved Mortal Kombat II from October 2025 to May 2026 in an effort to boost the studio’s summer slate. Granted, as an R-rated action film, Mortal Kombat II has a more limited target demographic than A Minecraft Movie or Super Mario, but there have been adult-orientated hits before.
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There likely won’t be any movement on the Mortal Kombat 3 front (or, for that matter, the Sub-Zero spinoff front) until WB takes the time to evaluate where things stand. Slater has been hired to write a Mortal Kombat 3 script, but that does not guarantee the threequel will happen. The studio could decide to pull the plug if they feel the investment isn’t worth it. For those hoping to see Mortal Kombat 3 come to fruition, it’s important to remember that box office grosses are just one revenue stream for Mortal Kombat II. Once the sequel hits home media, WB will earn more from PVOD rentals and Digital/Blu-ray purchases. Depending on how that pans out, Mortal Kombat II could go down as a success, paving the way for a third film to truly take off.
As far as a Sub-Zero spinoff is concerned, Mortal Kombat fans shouldn’t hold their breath waiting for that one right now. While Sub-Zero is one of the most popular characters in the franchise, the modern film series arguably hasn’t been a strong enough draw to warrant a spinoff. If the box office figures were higher and there was a clear and obvious appetite for additional Mortal Kombat movies, a Sub-Zero film would be an easy green light, but right now, WB needs to worry about whether or not the mainline series is going to continue before the figure out an expansion revolving around one character.
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