Opening Weekend Forecast: £1.2M – £1.8M
Theatrical Total Forecast: £4M – £5M
U.K.-based cinema advertising company Pearl & Dean has released their predicted opening range for Mortal Kombat II, opening in the U.K./Ireland market this weekend.
Mortal Kombat II could well be the moment the video game franchise’s big screen popularity mirrors its success on consoles. While predecessor Mortal Kombat only grossed £566,673 when it hit theaters in Spring 2021, it came the day cinemas reopened post-lockdown, a time when consumer demand had not reached even close to its current level. On top of that, by the time Mortal Kombat opened it had been available to stream (and pirate) for weeks due to Warner Bros.’ infamous decision to release its 2021 slate day-and-date. With those mitigating factors behind us for the sequel—substituting a May release date and theatrical exclusivity—Mortal Kombat II has the makings of a summer hit.
Originally developed in 1992—and subject to its first cinema adaptation in 1995—the Mortal Kombat franchise is a worldwide phenomenon with over 100 million copies sold. Mortal Kombat II seems to be leaning into the over-the-top and outlandish action that made the video games a hit in the first place, with trailers promising big, dumb fun and a gluttony of blood-soaked set pieces on a level with Warner Bros.’ 2025 horror hit Final Destination: Bloodlines (£11.6 million). Meanwhile, game-accurate character designs, fight moves, and catchphrases are present to appeal to the pre-existing fanbase—and, hopefully, to help shield the film from any negative reviews, à la recent new release Michael, which rode past scathing criticisms by leaning heavily on nostalgia and the iconography of its subject.
Fan favorite Johnny Cage, absent from 2021’s Mortal Kombat, leads the sequel, played by genre stalwart Karl Urban, who with the end of Amazon Prime’s The Boys has reached a peak in career popularity. The Boys has garnered the adoration of a largely male fanbase that Mortal Kombat II is no doubt targeting—and who, in a reversal of usual programming, are not being catered to by the current blockbuster slate. The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Michael both lean towards female crowds, leaving a market gap for Mortal Kombat to plug until The Mandalorian and Grogu’s release on May 22.
Warner Bros. certainly expressed confidence in the film when, just days after the release of its first trailer, they moved it from its earlier October 2025 release dat to prime summer real estate. The trailer went down extremely well with fans, scoring 106.8 million global views in its first 24 hours,the best-ever reception for a red band (or 15-rated) trailer.
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