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Mortal Kombat II Nets $65M, Highlights Baraka-Cage Fight

5/15/2026

Summary

Baraka Fight

Director Simon McQuoid cast CJ Bloomfield as Baraka after months of searching.
Mortal Kombat II has earned $65 million worldwide since its May 8 launch.
The Baraka–Johnny Cage fight was staged in a cardboard-box Tarkatan village at Village Roadshow, with actors performing most combat and stunt double Garreth Hadfield handling wire work.
Screenwriter Jeremy Slater rewrote the script to emphasize the Baraka–Cage dynamic, prompting Karl Urban to add “Not the face.”

Summary

Shinnok Leads

Shinnok is slated as the main antagonist for the forthcoming Mortal Kombat III.
Writer Jeremy Slater says Liu Kang will return differently and notes that Actor Lewis Tan confirms Cole Young’s death is final, allowing a possible new-character comeback.
Fans suggest Kenshi, Scorpion or Ermac for Tan’s next role, a notion Slater says aligns with internal talks as Mortal Kombat III remains in early development without studio green-light.

History

Historical Context

The 1995 Mortal Kombat film, directed by Paul Anderson and released by New Line Cinema, earned $122.2 million worldwide, becoming the top-grossing video-game adaptation of its era. After the poorly received 1997 sequel left the series in development limbo, Warner Bros. rebooted the franchise in 2021, prompting Simon McQuoid’s sequel—Mortal Kombat II—filmed in 2023-24 and released in May 2026.

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Baraka Fight

Director Simon McQuoid cast CJ Bloomfield as Baraka after months of searching.
Mortal Kombat II has earned $65 million worldwide since its May 8 launch.
The Baraka–Johnny Cage fight was staged in a cardboard-box Tarkatan village at Village Roadshow, with actors performing most combat and stunt double Garreth Hadfield handling wire work.
Screenwriter Jeremy Slater rewrote the script to emphasize the Baraka–Cage dynamic, prompting Karl Urban to add “Not the face.”

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