Predictions for Mortal Kombat 2 indicate it will have a challenging Rotten Tomatoes rating. Releasing on May 8 in the United States, this upcoming action film from Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema has had fairly strong projections at the box office so far. This is partly due to the video game adaptation focusing on Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage as he is recruited to fight in a martial arts tournament that will determine the fate of Earthrealm. Generally, it is difficult for action movies like these to receive high scores from critics, but there is hope that Mortal Kombat 2 will gain enough positive word-of-mouth to ensure that more films in the franchise will be produced.
What is Mortal Kombat 2’s Rotten Tomatoes rating expected to be?
Mortal Kombat 2 is expected to earn a 53% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on a bet on Kalshi (as of April 30). The threshold for a movie being called Fresh instead of Rotten on the site is 60%, indicating that the film will need to strive for a Fresh RT score.
The full results of the prediction market show that Mortal Kombat 2 is projected to receive a moderate RT score from reviewers:
- Above 30 (Rotten Tomatoes rating) – 99%
- Above 35 – 89%
- Above 40 – 83%
- Above 45 – 76%
- Above 50 – 59%
- Above 55 – 43%
- Above 60 – 29%
- Above 65 – 15%
- Above 70 – 11%
- Above 80 – 1%
- Above 85 – Less than 1%
- Above 90 – Negligible
- Above 95 – Less than 1%
Reviewing the full history of the bet, the forecasted RT score for the film has fluctuated from around 40% to 57% since April 11. The review embargo for the sequel is reportedly May 6 (just two days before the movie’s release), according to @EmbargoLiftsFor on X (formerly Twitter), but the exact hour when reviews will be published remains unknown.
In positive news, early reactions from audiences who have seen Mortal Kombat 2 at select advance screenings indicate that the filmmakers, including director Simon McQuoid and writer Jeremy Slater, have addressed fan feedback from the original Mortal Kombat in 2021. They report that the movie has discarded the Arcana concept from the first film and has more fully embraced its video game origins, with one viewer stating that it’s “the movie we should’ve gotten the first time.” They highlighted the impressive fight choreography for Kung Lao and praised the performances of Karl Urban and John Lawson, who returns as the mercenary Kano.
Box office predictions for Mortal Kombat 2 estimate earnings between $40 million and $50 million during its domestic opening and a total range of $80 million to $109 million throughout its entire run in the US and Canada, according to BoxOfficeTheory. The site notes that the film “is enjoying healthy early buzz among core audiences (men of all ages).” A separate report from BoxOffice Pro provides a similar range for the sequel, estimating $45 million to $55 million for its domestic opener.
These projections are strong compared to the original film from 2021, which only made $23 million during its domestic opening weekend. While it earned a total of $84 million worldwide, its production budget was $55 million, meaning it needed to make around $138 million to break even. However, it was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which ultimately led it to find a home on HBO Max. The streaming numbers on that platform were sufficient to convince producers to create this sequel.
It should be noted that Mortal Kombat 2 has a higher benchmark to meet, as its budget is slightly increased at $68 million and would thus need to earn $170 million worldwide to be profitable. If these box office projections hold true, this is a barrier that the film should easily surpass.
