‘Mortal Kombat 3’ Director Finally Breaks Silence On The Threequel’s Future

Mortal Kombat has always thrived on cliffhangers, and the film franchise built around Ed Boon and John Tobias’ brutal fighting game series is no exception. Following the 2021 reboot’s surprise success, fans have spent years wondering whether the saga would push forward into a proper trilogy, especially once Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage finally entered the fray.

That anticipation only grew louder after Mortal Kombat II hit theaters in May, delivering the biggest domestic opening in the franchise’s history and eventually overtaking the original 1995 film to become the highest grossing entry ever released, unadjusted for inflation. The Karl Urban starrer had already beaten the domestic haul before also surpassing the 1995 classic’s worldwide total, making it the highest grossing installment in the franchise and the biggest fighting game adaptation of all time.

Now, with the sequel heading to VOD ahead of its July 28 physical media release, director Simon McQuoid has offered fans the clearest picture yet of where ‘Mortal Kombat 3’ actually stands. Speaking with JoBlo for the home entertainment rollout, McQuoid was asked the one question every fan wanted answered, and while he stopped short of confirming a script or greenlight, he did not shut the door either. He explained that the sequel’s box office and home release performance still needs to fully play out before anything can be stated officially, telling the outlet to simply wait and see.

That measured response tracks with everything McQuoid has said about the franchise’s future so far. Back in May, ahead of Mortal Kombat II’s release, he told Entertainment Weekly that the world of the franchise still has so much left to explore, adding that there is always another character fans want to see and that the ideas never really stop coming. Those comments, paired with his latest update, paint the picture of a director who is genuinely eager to continue the story but is also keenly aware that Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema will ultimately make the call based on how the numbers shake out.

Financially, the picture is more complicated than the record breaking headlines suggest. Mortal Kombat II carries a reported eighty million dollar budget, which could push its theatrical break even point as high as two hundred million dollars. The film has not yet cleared that bar in theaters alone, meaning its streaming, television, and physical media revenue will likely play a major role in determining whether a third installment gets the official go ahead.

Writer Jeremy Slater has reportedly already been attached to develop a script for the threequel, a detail that has kept fan speculation alive even without a formal announcement. Between McQuoid’s continued involvement, the cast’s evident enthusiasm, and the franchise’s newfound box office momentum, the pieces for another chapter appear to be falling into place, even if the studio isn’t ready to say so out loud just yet.

For a franchise that has spent decades struggling to find consistent footing at the box office, this level of cautious optimism from its own director feels like genuine progress. Whether Warner Bros. ultimately pulls the trigger may come down to how well Mortal Kombat II performs once it leaves theaters entirely.

What character or storyline would you most want to see explored if ‘Mortal Kombat 3’ officially gets the green light?