Mortal Kombat‘s impressive HBO Max record is great news for a potential sequel. There have already been talks about future movies being in development for the franchise. However, this has just made the possibility of a Mortal Kombat II far more likely.

Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, WarnerMedia made the controversial move to have all their theatrical releases premiere on HBO Max simultaneously, hoping that doing so would increase the number of subscribers for the streaming service while also allowing audience members the option of a safer approach to watching their films. Highly anticipated releases such as Dune and Godzilla vs. Kong managed to maintain successful numbers, while others such as The Suicide Squad disappointed at the box office.

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A report via Business Insider showed that many properties that otherwise suffered at the box office had high viewing numbers through HBO Max. The Suicide Squad, in particular, ranked third in 2021 with 2.8 million households viewing the movie during its opening weekend. However, it’s Mortal Kombat that came out on top with 3.8 million households tuning in. While doing decently at the box office, it’s the HBO Max record that will likely see Mortal Kombat get the sequels that have always been intended. Not only does it mean that the film has garnered huge interest, but HBO Max now allows Warner Bros. to deliver more content without having to rely solely on the box office.

Mortal Kombat‘s HBO Max success allows Warner Bros. to explore several different possibilities with the IP. While it’s incredibly likely that the company intends to release the sequels in theatres, the streaming service gives stock to letting the franchise grow beyond that. In a similar vein, the DCEU is putting together shows for both the Black Canary and Peacemaker. Despite both The Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey being box office disappointments, HBO Max now gives these characters the opportunity to continue their stories through shows and movies exclusive to the service. To that end, while it’s still likely that Mortal Kombat II and its sequels get theatrical releases, HBO Max will let the franchise flourish through spin-offs on characters like Mortal Kombat‘s Scorpion.

If the streaming numbers for Mortal Kombat are anything to go by, there is clearly high demand for the studio to continue building on the franchise. Therefore, this success secures the possibility of a sequel and possibly even more should Warner Bros.’s interest in the project remain strong. Given how popular the franchise already is thanks to decades of video games, the potential is growing for these films to follow suit—and it’s clear now that HBO Max had a hand in that.

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Next: Mortal Kombat: Every Original Movie Callback

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Jake Gleason
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Jake Gleason is a Writer for Screen Rant. He recently graduated from SUNY Purchase with a major in Playwriting and Screenwriting and a minor in History and Theatre and Performance. Jake has written a personal blog expressing his love for all types of media, and now hosts an Instagram account for the same purpose. Most recently, Jake attended Terrificon 2021, where he met Ross Marquand and got to hear his input on what is to come in the final season of “The Walking Dead.”

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