"Mortal Kombat 2" Grosses Over $100 Million Worldwide - Box Office Plummets in Second Weekend

"Mortal Kombat 2" began to rapidly lose ground at the box office in its second weekend. After debuting at number one in the US, Warner Bros.' fighting game adaptation dropped 66% in domestic revenue, adding only $13 million over the weekend. International box office brought in another $10 million, bringing the film's total gross to $101 million.

For the studio, this is a mixed result. The sequel has already surpassed 2021's "Mortal Kombat," which earned just over $80 million worldwide. However, the first installment was released simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max during pandemic restrictions. The sequel has no such excuses, and its budget, by various estimates, has grown to $80 million – compared to $55 million for the 2021 film.

Including marketing, the film needs to gross at least $150 million to approach profitability. So far, there are no signs of such a surge, especially with the upcoming release of "The Mandalorian and Grogu" on May 22. Therefore, Warner Bros. will likely have to rely on ancillary sales and the film's continued life on streaming platforms.

Whether this will be enough to justify new sequels remains an open question. Director Simon McQuoid is currently finishing the second version of the "Mortal Kombat 3" script and already has ideas in mind up to the sixth film, but the sequel has not yet officially received the "green light."