Mortal Kombat II Release Date Challenge on HBO Max

Related reads: Warner Bros CEO David Zaslav reveals why HBO Max is not moving toward a strict campaign against password sharing. HBO Max announced the release date for the movie Mortal Kombat II on its streaming service. The new installment of the fighting game series, directed by Simon McQuoid, will be available to subscribers starting Friday, July 24. An American Sign Language (ASL) version of the film will also be released on the same day, which incorporates "Visual Vernacular," a unique style of sign language that combines elements of ASL, silent acting, facial expressions, and body movements to convey visually rich stories. The film will air on HBO television the following day, Saturday, July 25. Mortal Kombat II is a direct sequel to the 2021 film, which provided a fresh take on the fighting game series created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. The Mortal Kombat franchise, currently owned by Warner Bros. Games, previously received a live-action adaptation directed by Paul W.S. Anderson in 1995, followed by a sequel titled Mortal Kombat: Annihilation directed by John R. Leonetti in 1997, which is sometimes classified as one of the worst video game adaptations ever. The announcement of the film's release date on HBO Max comes just over two months after its theatrical release, where it grossed a worldwide total of $129.4 million against a production budget estimated at $90 million. The film had been released on digital platforms in late June. Although the new installment faced some challenges at the box office, it quickly surpassed the original film, which had a limited theatrical release and was released simultaneously on streaming services during the pandemic. It also received better reviews from critics, currently holding a 65% on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to 55% for the first film. IGN gave the film a rating of 8/10, stating in their review: "It may not be an Oscar-worthy film, and diehard fans with an encyclopedic knowledge of the game may find some aspects worth criticizing, but it’s a big, loud, bloody film that doesn’t shy away from delivering fun."