Mortal Kombat II hit movies theaters on Friday, bringing back the arcade-game franchise five years after the first Mortal Kombat opened in theaters and on HBO Max at the same time during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sequel pits the fan-favorite champions, now joined by Johnny Cage, against Shao Kahn in a fight that should give theatergoers the kind of hard-charging spectacle the series sells best.
That makes the release a useful marker for how far the industry has moved since 2021, when studios were still splitting attention between cinemas and streaming. This time, Mortal Kombat II is arriving the old-fashioned way, with the theatrical run carrying the weight of the launch while other titles fill out the weekend for viewers who want something different.
Hugh Jackman stars in The Sheep Detectives, while Billie Eilish’s 3D concert film, codirected by James Cameron, is also in theaters. For viewers staying home, A24’s dark comedy The Drama, starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, is available to rent or buy, along with the horror sequel Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. Sam Raimi’s wild Rachel McAdams-Dylan O'Brien thriller Send Help is on Hulu.
Film critic Brett Arnold framed the roundup as a weekly guide to the new movies released on Friday, and the lineup shows how wide the options now are for anyone deciding what to watch. For Mortal Kombat II, though, the central question has already been answered: after five years, the franchise is back in movies theaters, and this time it is asking audiences to meet it there first.
