Mortal Kombat 2's R-rating description suggests it's going to be even bloodier than the 2021 original

Mortal Kombat
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Mortal Kombat 2 looks set to be even bloodier – and gorier – than its predecessor.

Per the Motion Picture Association, the sequel is rated R for "strong bloody violence and gore, and language" (H/T Bloody Disgusting). The original, however, earned its rating for "strong bloody violence and language," so the "gore" is a new addition for round two.

Lewis Tan is back as MMA fighter Cole Young and he's joined by some new cast members for the sequel, including The Boys star Karl Urban as Johnny Cage and Tati Gabrielle as Jade, alongside Desmond Chiam, Martyn Ford, Ana Thu Nguyen, and Damon Herriman. Simon McQuoid is back in the director's chair and Moon Knight's Jeremy Slater penned the script.

The first movie follows Cole as he finds himself hunted down by the assassin Sub-Zero, unaware that it's because he's descended from a legendary warrior. Released back in 2021, the film received mixed reviews but was a hit at the box office. Work on the sequel first began in 2022 with filming kicking off in 2023, but the actors' strike caused some delays to production and we still have a while to wait before it hits the big screen.

The Mortal Kombat movies are based on the video game franchise of the same name, which was first released in 1992, and they also serve as a reboot of the '90s movies Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat Annihilation.

Mortal Kombat 2 arrives in theaters on October 24. 2025. In the meantime, check out our picks of the other best upcoming video game movies on the way.

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Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism. 

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