A 2021 Mortal Kombat movie sequel is in the works

According to Deadline, the Warner Bros. film studio has hired Jeremy Slater, the screenwriter of "Fantastic Four" and "Moon Knight", to write the script for the new movie "Mortal Kombat 2".

Last year's Mortal Kombat was directed by Simon McCoy, making his directorial debut, and was produced by James Wan (Aquaman), Todd Garner (Into the Storm), E. Bennett Walsh (The Amazing Spider-Man 2) and McCoy.

The film was released in April, driving the highest U.S. box office weekend since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The film, based on the famous game of the same name, grossed $22.5 million in its first weekend, reportedly exceeding Warner Bros.' expectations. The film's global box office total is close to $84 million, according to box office Mojo. The film was released simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max, and was reportedly one of the streaming service's most popular movies to date.

Despite poor reviews from critics, the original Mortal Kombat film grossed over $120 million worldwide following its release in 1995. Its sequel, 1997's Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, grossed $50 million.

Warner said the Mortal Kombat series, which was launched in 1992, had sold 73 million copies as of July 2021, including 12 million copies of 2019's Mortal Kombat 11.