Is Mortal Kombat 3 confirmed? What we know about the next movie

At New York Comic Con in October 2025, Slater said Warner Bros. and New Line had hired him to write the next instalment. That made a third film a development project.

In May 2026, however, Slater said the third film had not been greenlit. Popverse reported his comments about the uncertainty even while the screenplay was being written.

We have found no announcement since then of a green light, a filming date or a release date. So read any news about the screenplay as development news.

Slater wrote Mortal Kombat II and was hired to continue the story. In March 2026, producer Todd Garner shared a photograph of a script page bearing Slater’s name and the label “Draft 1.1”. Mortal Kombat Online recorded the post and its February draft date.

That is stronger evidence than a writer saying he has ideas. There is a screenplay in development. What has not been announced is the commitment to make it.

McQuoid directed both recent films. In an interview published by TheWrap on 7 August 2026, he was asked about both the status of the third film and whether he would return. His answer was uncertain, describing the project as still going through its life cycle.

Because the question covered both, his answer doesn’t tell us much about either the studio’s decision or his own part in it. He also discussed other projects and left the door open to returning. No director has been publicly confirmed for the third film.

The Numbers lists Mortal Kombat II’s worldwide theatrical gross at approximately $129.6 million, including a $38.5 million opening weekend in the US and Canada. Its reported production budget is $80 million.

The same tracker lists the 2021 film at approximately $84.4 million worldwide on a $55 million production budget. That comparison needs context: the earlier film opened during the pandemic and was streaming in the US on the same day it reached cinemas.

The sequel earned more in cinemas, but gross ticket sales are not studio profit. The budget figure leaves out marketing, cinemas keep part of the box office, and nobody outside the studio knows what streaming and home sales are worth. These numbers can’t settle the question on their own.

As checked on 18 October 2026, Rotten Tomatoes lists 63% positive critic reviews and 86% positive verified audience ratings. CinemaScore reported a B from its opening audience survey. Those measure how people felt about the film. They don’t predict whether the studio will pay for another one.

Slater has said the plan was to bring Liu Kang back in some capacity. Mortal Kombat II leaves open whether his fiery disappearance is a death or an ascension, giving the next screenplay a question to answer.

The captured necromancer Quan Chi also gives the surviving heroes a way to recover fallen friends. That’s a setup, not a confirmed list of returning characters or actors. Our ending explainer covers how it works, and our Cole Young article explains why his case is different.

Shinnok as the villain. His amulet is central to Mortal Kombat II, but he has not been announced as the next film’s antagonist.

Liu Kang returning as a Fire God. There is a precedent in the games. Slater has said he wants to return to Liu Kang’s story. He hasn’t confirmed that particular version of him.

A returning cast and a release date. Character plans are not casting announcements. No release date or production schedule has been announced for this update.