"Mortal Kombat 2" to Gross Around $80 Million on Opening Weekend - Analysts Lower Expectations After Reviews

"Mortal Kombat 2" could gross up to $80 million worldwide on its debut weekend. This is still a strong start compared to the first film, which earned approximately $83 million over its entire theatrical run, but expectations for the sequel have become more cautious after the release of reviews.

The paradox is that "Mortal Kombat 2" is receiving more positive reviews than the 2021 film, but its average scores are lower. On Rotten Tomatoes, the approval rating increased from 55% to 73%, while on Metacritic, the film received 49 points compared to 60 for the first "Mortal Kombat."

This ambiguous picture has affected forecasts for North America. While in mid-April, Box Office Pro expected $50-65 million for the film's debut weekend, a fresh Deadline forecast now speaks of $40-50 million in the domestic market. Warner Bros. itself estimates an even more modest start – approximately $35 million.

"Mortal Kombat 2" was directed by Simon McQuoid, the director of the previous installment. The main roles were played by Karl Urban, Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano, Joe Taslim, and Hiroyuki Sanada.