Mortal Kombat II arrives in theaters this weekend, when Johnny Cage, Kitana and their fellow fighters will face a far more ruthless opponent than Shao Khan in the form of The Devil Wears Prada 2's Miranda Priestly.
Warner Bros./New Line's R-rated video game sequel is looking at a debut of $40 million to $45 million from 3,400 North American theaters (the studio offers a softer estimate of $35 million), while Disney's The Devil Wears Prada sequel starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep is expected to take in $38 million to $42 million during its second weekend in theaters.
It'll be a close race to the No. 1 spot, but MKII should gain some ground overseas with at least $30 million from international markets, potentially putting the sequel on track for a $70 million to $80 million global bow (the movie has a reported production budget of $80 million)..
Mortal Kombat II's review embargo lifted earlier today, and the movie is currently sitting at 74% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Both movies will have some competition from Amazon MGM’s critically acclaimed family adventure, Sheep Detectives, as well as Paramount’s concert film, Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D). Lionsgate’s Michael Jackson biopic also continues to perform well, and looks set to add another $35 million to $40 million in its third weekend of release.
Do you plan to head to the theater this weekend? If so, what will you be seeing? Let us know in the comments.
From New Line Cinema comes the latest high-stakes installment in the blockbuster video game franchise in all its brutal glory, Mortal Kombat II. This time, the fan favorite champions—now joined by Johnny Cage himself—are pitted against one another in the ultimate, no-holds barred, gory battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders.
Karl Urban stars as Johnny Cage, alongside Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, with Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden, Joe Taslim as Bi-Han, and Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi and Scorpion.
Director Simon McQuoid returns to helm the follow up to his explosive 2021 cinematic adventure, from a screenplay by Jeremy Slater, based on the videogame created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. The film is produced by Todd Garner, James Wan, Toby Emmerich, E. Bennett Walsh and McQuoid, and executive produced by Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Slater and Lawrence Kasanoff.
Joining McQuoid behind the camera are director of photography Stephen F. Windon, production designer Yohei Taneda, editor Stuart Levy and costume designer Cappi Ireland, with casting by Rich Delia and music by Benjamin Wallfisch.
New Line Cinema Presents an Atomic Monster/Broken Road Production, a Fireside Films Production, Mortal Kombat II.