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Mortal Kombat movie director Simon McQuoid has cast doubt on his return to the franchise as work on a third movie remains in limbo.
The filmmaker behind both the first and second recent live-action adaptations of NetherRealm Studios’ brutal and beloved fighting game series spoke about why he may not be back to direct Mortal Kombat 3 should the opportunity arise during an interview with The Wrap. In fact, he wasn’t even sure how to offer a status update on the third film.
“I think it’s still going through its life cycle,” McQuoid said when asked for an update on the third movie or if he would come back. “So, I don’t know yet. I’m not sure.”
Mortal Kombat 3 may be finished before it can even get a punch in, but that’s not to say the film isn’t in the works at all. Screenwriter Jeremy Slater confirmed he had begun writing a third film in the reboot saga at New York Comic Con in 2025, saying at the time that New Line and Warner Bros. were “so happy” with the second film.
Unfortunately, it’s an update that may have arrived a bit prematurely. The first Mortal Kombat reboot movie brought characters like Scorpion and Sub-Zero back to the big screen when it premiered in 2021. The wait for Mortal Kombat 2 wouldn’t come to an end until May 2026, one full year after Slater had already promised another follow-up.
Unfortunately, the five-year downtime between films, and characters like Johnny Cage (Karl Urban) and Kitana (Adeline Rudolph), did little to convince audiences to get over to their nearest theater. Despite promising projections ahead of time, Mortal Kombat 2 only managed to thaw out $63 million globally in its opening weekend in theaters. Box Office Mojo reported that its final total brought in $129 million, a number that puts it beyond the $80 million budget it was said to have by Variety, but with other costs to consider, it’s still not quite something that could be called a success.
While Mortal Kombat 3’s status remains unknown, it sounds like McQuoid may not return to direct even if it does come to be. While he said he’s not completely shut himself off from the franchise when asked if he would like to do another Mortal Kombat movie, it sounds like there are other projects he’s already turned his attention to.
“Well, 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,” McQuoid said, “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.”
For now, Mortal Kombat 3 remains without a release date. In the meantime, you can read about how the second film set the stage for more on-screen blood and gore. You can also read about the spinoff projects that Kung Lao actor Max Huang has already dreamed about spinning up.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
