Johnny Cage in a fighting stance as Liu Kang, Jax and Sonya look on in Mortal Kombat II
Mortal Kombat is back on the big screen with the release of Mortal Kombat II in theaters, but when it will be available on streaming has yet to be confirmed.
The sequel finally came out on May 8, 2026, after over five years of waiting. Warner Bros. prolonged the gap by pushing the film out of a late 2025 release. The hope is that Mortal Kombat II's box office will fare even better as a summer blockbuster. It's an opportunity that was not fairly given to the 2021 reboot, which got a simultaneous release in theaters and on HBO Max as part of Warner Bros.
's reaction to the pandemic. The move capped the video game movie's box office performance, but it propelled Mortal Kombat to be WB's biggest 2021 day-and-date streaming release. With so many experiencing the first film at home on streaming, it will be a popular viewing option once again for Mortal Kombat II. The only difference is that fans need to be prepared to wait a few months before the sequel starts streaming on HBO Max.
WB stopped its same-day streaming and theatrical release model after the pandemic ended, leaving titles like Mortal Kombat II to have proper exclusive theatrical runs before becoming available on digital or streaming. So far, WB has not confirmed any specific timeline for Mortal Kombat II's streaming release, but it will head to HBO Max, which is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.
While we wait for an official announcement regarding its at-home debut, it is possible to predict the timetable thanks to years of data. What We Know About Mortal Kombat II's Streaming Release On HBO Max To accurately give Mortal Kombat II a projected streaming release date, it is first worth establishing Warner Bros.
' history and trends. Early on, the studio would put a film on HBO Max as soon as 49 days or wait as long as 147 days . The studio has really fine-tuned its approach over the years, with 2025 reflecting this. WB only used four different streaming gaps for its entire 2025 movie library: 70 days, 77 days, 78 days, and 84 days.
But 77 days was the one they used most frequently, with the rest only happening once each. The 77-day gap between theaters and streaming has so far stayed true for 2026, as Wuthering Heights received the same schedule. For that reason, the clear projected streaming release date for Mortal Kombat II on HBO Max is Friday, July 24, 2026.
Fridays are always when WB releases its new movies to streaming, and this would be 77 days after the movie debuts in theaters. ScreenRant.com | MK Tournament Records Interactive Quiz ScreenRant/ Movies/ Mortal Kombat/ Trivia From the Great Tournament to the Reboot Era · Eight Questions How Well Do You Know the Mortal Kombat Movies?
“MORTAL KOMBAT! ” 🥊The 1995 OriginalTest your might 🔥AnnihilationThe 1997 sequel ❄️2021 RebootGet over here 💉FatalitiesFinish him! 🎮Mortal Kombat II2025 sequel FIGHT! → QUESTION 1 / 8THE 1995 BREAKOUT 01 The 1995 Mortal Kombat film, made for a modest $18 million, opened to $23 million on its first weekend, knocked off Seven from the #1 spot and went on to become a video-game-movie touchstone of the era.
The film was helmed by a then-rookie British director who’d later turn the Resident Evil franchise into a global hit. Name him. APaul W.S. Anderson BRoland Emmerich CRenny Harlin DStephen Sommers ✓ Correct!
Paul W.S. Anderson, then 30 and on his second feature after 1994’s Shopping. Mortal Kombat’s box-office success put Anderson on Hollywood’s map — he went on to direct Event Horizon, Soldier and the entire Resident Evil film franchise . To this day Anderson’s 1995 Mortal Kombat is widely regarded as one of the most watchable video-game adaptations ever made.
✗ Wrong. The answer is Paul W.S. Anderson. Roland Emmerich was busy with Independence Day in 1996.
Renny Harlin made Cliffhanger and Cutthroat Island around this period. Stephen Sommers later did Deep Rising and The Mummy . Mortal Kombat is Paul W.S. Anderson’s breakout.
NEXT → QUESTION 2 / 8SHAOLIN’S CHAMPION 02 The 1995 film cast its central hero — the Shaolin monk Liu Kang, fighting in the tournament to avenge his murdered brother — with a Hong Kong-born actor and martial artist who would reprise the role in 1997’s Annihilation. Name him. ARobin Shou BCary-Hiroyuki Tagawa CRussell Wong DMark Dacascos ✓ Correct! Robin Shou.
Born in Hong Kong, Shou had previously appeared in Tiger Cage 2 and as a stunt-double choreographer for Jet Li. He played Liu Kang in both 1995’s Mortal Kombat and 1997’s Annihilation, choreographed his own fight scenes for the original film, and remains the actor most strongly identified with on-screen Liu Kang prior to the 2021 reboot . ✗ Wrong. The answer is Robin Shou.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa plays Shang Tsung in the 1995 film — the soul-stealing villain. Russell Wong didn’t appear in either 1990s MK film. Mark Dacascos has had similar action-hero roles but isn’t Liu Kang. Robin Shou is the one.
NEXT → QUESTION 3 / 8PROTECTOR OF EARTHREALM 03 In the 1995 film, the thunder god and protector of Earthrealm Lord Raiden — complete with conical straw hat, electric eyes and a wry, dryly amused delivery — was played by a French actor best known for the cult Highlander films. Name him. AJean-Claude Van Damme BChristopher Lambert CVincent Cassel DPierce Brosnan ✓ Correct!
Christopher Lambert — the New York-born, Geneva-raised French actor best known as Connor MacLeod in the Highlander films. Lambert reportedly took the role for $1 million plus profit participation, and his weirdly amused performance is a fan-favourite. Lambert chose not to return for 1997’s Annihilation, where Raiden was recast with James Remar. ✗ Wrong.
The answer is Christopher Lambert. Jean-Claude Van Damme was famously offered Johnny Cage but ultimately wasn’t in the film — though Cage’s splits-and-groin-punch finishing move is a JCVD homage. Vincent Cassel and Pierce Brosnan were never attached. Lambert is the 1995 Raiden.
NEXT → QUESTION 4 / 8THE THEME SONG 04 The franchise’s instantly recognisable theme — a pumping techno bass riff capped with an ecstatic shouted “MORTAL KOMBAT! ” — was written by Olivier Adams and Praga Khan under the project name The Immortals for the 1993 single “Mortal Kombat” before being repurposed as the 1995 film’s anthem. What’s the song’s actual track title? ATechno Syndrome BTest Your Might CFinish Him DFatality ✓ Correct!
“Techno Syndrome” — track three on The Immortals’ 1994 album Mortal Kombat: The Album, which Sony commissioned to capitalise on the games. The song’s opening “MORTAL KOMBAT! ” shout is sampled directly from in-game digitised audio. The 1995 film’s opening sequence remixed it as “Techno Syndrome 7th Edition,” which is the version everyone remembers — and the version returned for the 2021 reboot.
✗ Wrong. The answer is “Techno Syndrome. ” “Test Your Might” is one of the original arcade game’s mini-games, not a song title.
“Finish Him” and “Fatality” are in-game catchphrases. The actual title of the legendary “MORTAL KOMBAT! ” track is “Techno Syndrome,” written by The Immortals for Sony’s 1994 tie-in album.
NEXT → QUESTION 5 / 8THE 1997 SEQUEL 05 Two years after the 1995 hit, the much-maligned sequel rushed into theatres with a slimmer budget, recast Raiden and Sonya, and threw a mountain of fan-service cameos at the screen — Sheeva, Sindel, Motaro, Cyrax, Smoke, Nightwolf, Jade, Mileena. It tanked critically and spent over two decades as a punchline. What was the sequel’s subtitle? AAnnihilation BResurrection CConquest DDeception ✓ Correct!
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation . Director John R. Leonetti took over from Anderson on a compressed schedule, with most of the original cast either declining to return or recast . It earned $51 million worldwide on a $30 million budget, killed the franchise’s film prospects for decades and is widely cited as one of the worst video-game adaptations ever made. ✗ Wrong.
The answer is Annihilation. Mortal Kombat: Conquest is a 1998–99 syndicated TV series.
“Deception” is a video game subtitle . “Resurrection” isn’t official. The 1997 sequel is Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, directed by John R. Leonetti.
NEXT → QUESTION 6 / 8THE 2021 PROTAGONIST 06 The 2021 reboot, produced by James Wan’s Atomic Monster and directed by Simon McQuoid, introduced an original audience-surrogate protagonist named Cole Young — a struggling Chicago MMA fighter with a dragon-mark birthmark who’s pulled into the tournament. Which English-American actor played him? ALewis Tan BMark Dacascos CIko Uwais DTony Jaa ✓ Correct!
Lewis Tan — the English-American actor and martial artist playing the original-character protagonist Cole Young. Cole was created specifically for the film, isn’t in any of the games, and was a fan-debate flashpoint — the choice to centre an original character ahead of established Liu Kang divided early reactions before the film opened to over $80 million worldwide. ✗ Wrong. The answer is Lewis Tan.
Mark Dacascos isn’t in this film. Iko Uwais was rumoured for a role but wasn’t cast. Tony Jaa wasn’t involved either. Lewis Tan plays Cole Young — the original-character lead created specifically for the 2021 film’s reboot continuity.
NEXT → QUESTION 7 / 8SUB-ZERO 07 In the 2021 reboot, Bi-Han / Sub-Zero — the cryomancer Lin Kuei assassin who freezes blood into icicle-blade weapons in some of the film’s standout setpieces — is played by an Indonesian martial-arts star best known for his role as Jaka in The Raid. Name him. AIko Uwais BJoe Taslim CYayan Ruhian DTony Jaa ✓ Correct!
Joe Taslim — the Indonesian Olympic-level judoka turned actor . Taslim’s ice-knife fight choreography in the cold-open prologue and his climactic Cole Young rematch are the film’s most-praised sequences. He returned in a different role for Mortal Kombat 2. ✗ Wrong.
The answer is Joe Taslim. Iko Uwais — Taslim’s frequent The Raid co-star and the franchise’s breakout name — isn’t in the 2021 film. Yayan Ruhian isn’t either. Tony Jaa is the Thai Ong-Bak star.
Joe Taslim is the 2021 Sub-Zero. NEXT → QUESTION 8 / 8THE 2025 SEQUEL 08 The follow-up to the 2021 reboot was officially announced in early 2022 with director Simon McQuoid returning, much of the original cast back, and the long-awaited big-screen debut of Johnny Cage — played by Karl Urban. The film hits theatres in October 2025. What’s its title?
AMortal Kombat II BMortal Kombat: Aftermath CMortal Kombat: Outworld DMortal Kombat: Reborn ✓ Correct! Mortal Kombat II, releasing October 24, 2025 from New Line / Warner Bros. Karl Urban joins the cast as Johnny Cage — the brash Hollywood action star who never made it into the 2021 film — alongside returning actors Lewis Tan, Joe Taslim, Hiroyuki Sanada, Jessica McNamee, Mehcad Brooks and others.
The film is set up to finally adapt the actual Outworld tournament from the games, which the 2021 reboot famously deferred. ✗ Wrong. The answer is Mortal Kombat II .
“Aftermath” is a Mortal Kombat 11 game DLC. “Outworld” and “Reborn” aren’t official. The 2025 sequel is simply titled Mortal Kombat II, directed by Simon McQuoid, with Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage as the headline addition. REVEAL MY RATING → Tournament Complete · Final Verdict Your Kombat Standing 🥊 / 8 Grand Champion — or first-round Fatality?
⤴ ROUND 2! How good or bad Mortal Kombat II does at the box office should not change this approach. This schedule has been used for WB's near-billion-dollar hits like A Minecraft Movie, as well as major box office bombs like The Alto Knights.
And of all the IP movies the studio released last year, Superman was the only one not to get a 77-day gap, and it only came sooner so that it could be available on streaming ahead of Peacemaker season 2 beginning. Subscribe for streaming-release analysis and HBO Max insight Get smarter about when blockbusters land on streaming by subscribing to our newsletter.
We break down studio streaming-window patterns, HBO Max strategies, and data-based predictions so you know how releases are likely to play out. Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Whether you can't wait for Mortal Kombat II to come to HBO Max for a repeat or first viewing, you'll need to be prepared to wait until late July for that opportunity.
The movie should come to digital sometime in June and provide the option to buy or rent it on PVOD a bit sooner. The soonest this will happen is June 9, which would give the movie an exclusive theatrical window of 32 days. Rather than waiting 11 weeks for the movie to arrive on HBO Max, those who have the time, money, and accessibility should prioritize seeing it in theaters.
The majority of reviews have been positive, resulting in Mortal Kombat II's franchise record Rotten Tomatoes score. There is a lot of fun to be had with a crowd, and spoilers worth avoiding.
But if you just can't see it in theaters for whatever reason, July 24, 2026 is the projected HBO Max release date for Mortal Kombat II. 8.1/10 4/10 Mortal Kombat II 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed R Action Fantasy Adventure Release Date May 8, 2026 Runtime 116 Minutes Director Simon McQuoid Writers Jeremy Slater Producers E. Bennett Walsh, James Wan, Simon McQuoid, Toby Emmerich, Todd Garner Cast See All Prequel Mortal Kombat Franchise Mortal Kombat Powered by Expand Collapse
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