20 Upcoming Movies That Just Got Cancelled
9. Mortal Kombat III
Mortal Kombat II was a sequel that built upon the first film's decent enough foundation while also addressing most of the complaints fans had about it - namely a lack of Johnny Cage (played so gamely here by Karl Urban), the absence of the actual tournament, and the woeful audience insert character Cole Young (Lewis Tan).
And while many expected the game's millions of fans to turn out in droves for this hugely improved follow-up, Mortal Kombat II underperformed commercially, grossing just $129 million against a hefty $80 million budget.
Though the first film was a modest performer, grossing just $84.4 million worldwide, this came with the massive asterisk of releasing at the height of COVID, all while dropping day-and-date on streaming in the U.S.
Plus, the first film had a decidedly more hemmed-in budget of $55 million, and this bigger-budget swing of a sequel just didn't take off as many hoped.
Though Mortal Kombat III was said to be in development before the second film's release, screenwriter Jeremy Slater confirmed that it was far from guaranteed pending the film's box office performance.
And with the result being what it was, far from Warner Bros.' hopes for Mortal Kombat to become a summer blockbuster IP, it's safe to say that part three is toast.