the saga Mortal Kombat has always drawn blood and the next film is not likely to deviate from the rule with a beautiful butchery.
Very inspired by the 7th art, the extreme franchise Mortal Kombat has itself been adapted for the cinema, notably by Paul WS Anderson in 1995 in a film that became cult thanks to the laughter of Christophe Lambert and a Eurodance anthem. However, he was not the most faithful, notably because it was rated PG-13 (prohibited to unaccompanied under 13s in the United States), a category generally reserved for mainstream blockbusters.
In 2021, while NetherRealm’s new video game saga retrained a generation to learn the codes of Fatalitiesa new adaptation this time by Simon McQuoid has been released. Claiming a religious respect for the games, the film, somewhat battered by the health crisis (it was also released on HBO Max) promised to return to their bloody essence. Result: it reproduced almost identically certain finish moves and received an R rating (prohibited to under 17s unaccompanied by an adult). The sequel, soberly titled Mortal Kombat 2could well raise the level of violence another notch.
Mortal Kombat : Unchained
Studios generally aim for one of the three most common classifications: PG (all audiences), PG-13 or R. The NC-17 classification, equivalent to a strict ban on children under 17, is carefully avoided and therefore therefore extremely rare in the Hollywood system. The MPAA, the association which manages these labels, has just rendered its judgment for the rest of Mortal Kombat : the film will indeed be R, like its predecessor. So far, no surprises, but the sanction is still a bit different.
It’s all a question of qualification. Each ranking is accompanied by a short text which justifies the decision. THE Mortal Kombat of 2021 was therefore rated R for “strong bloody violence and strong language throughout, as well as some obscene references”. That of 2025 will also be classified R but for “strong bloody violence, gore and strong language”. The addition of the term « gore » therefore portends an even more generous bloodbath. And at this point, that’s about all we have to form an opinion.
Indeed, as Internet users have pointed out, the film is still scheduled for October 24, 2025 in the United States, and the 22nd in France. We already knew that its filming had been completed since the end of January 2024, but that means that a finished version of the feature film exists and that it has been submitted to the MPAA, almost a whole year before the fateful date. Warner could therefore start promoting the thing at any time, unless it leaves this sequel on the shelf several months before releasing its trailers.
Mortal Kombat 2 is still directed by Simon McQuoid. Actors Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Tadanobu Asano, Mehcad Brooks, Ludi Lin, Chin Han, Joe Taslim and Hiroyuki Sanada will reprise their roles, while several newcomers will join the roster, including Tati Gabrielle as Jade, Adeline Rudolph as Kitana , Martyn Ford as Shao Kahn and especially Karl Urban as Johnny Cage. Flawless victory in sight?
