MORTAL KOMBAT III Update Reveals Script Is Done and May Adapt the MK3 Video Game
Warner Bros. isn’t playing around when it comes to Mortal Kombat. While fans are still waiting to see how the next chapter unfolds, the studio has already made a serious move on the future of the franchise.
A fresh update on Mortal Kombat III has surfaced, and it hints at a major shift that could spark some heated debates among longtime fans of the video game series.
When Mortal Kombat hit theaters and HBO Max in April 2021, it arrived during a strange time for the industry. Released day-and-date at the height of the pandemic, the martial arts fantasy smashed streaming records and still pulled in $84.4 million worldwide against a $55 million budget.
The studio quickly locked in a sequel, and Mortal Kombat II is currently set to land in theaters on May 8, 2026. But here’s where things get interesting.
Even before the second film has had a chance to throw its first punch in front of audiences, Warner Bros. quietly moved forward with a third installment, putting Mortal Kombat III into active development last year. That’s a strong vote of confidence.
Returning screenwriter Jeremy Slater recently shared a photo of himself holding the completed script for Mortal Kombat III, confirming that the writing phase has officially wrapped. The gap between the first and second films stretched nearly five years. If the script is already finished, it suggests the wait between Mortal Kombat II and Mortal Kombat III could be much shorter.
But fans immediately noticed something else in that photo.
The cover page of Slater’s script features the classic logo from the 1995 Mortal Kombat III arcade game. That detail feels intentional. In the game’s storyline, the traditional tournament structure is tossed aside.
Instead, Shao Kahn manipulates events through the resurrection of Queen Sindel, using a mystical loophole to invade Earthrealm directly and merge it with Outworld. The result is all-out planetary chaos, with Earth’s fighters battling extermination squads in a near-apocalyptic setting rather than competing under the Elder Gods’ tournament rules.
If the movie follows that blueprint, it would mean a massive shift in the franchises tone and structure.
Here’s where it gets tricky. The 2021 Mortal Kombat film already sidestepped the tournament format entirely, opting for a pre-tournament hunt where Outworld assassins targeted Earth’s champions before the competition even began.
That creative decision drew heavy criticism from fans who felt the absence of the tournament stripped away one of the franchise’s defining elements.
Mortal Kombat II is expected to correct that course by finally delivering the high-stakes tournament fans have been waiting for. So if Mortal Kombat III immediately pivots back to a non-tournament storyline centered on a full-scale invasion, it could end up dividing the fanbase all over again.
Of course, none of this confirms exactly how closely the film will stick to the game’s narrative. The logo could simply be a nod to the source material. But given how deliberate franchises tend to be with branding, it feels like more than a coincidence.
For now, Mortal Kombat II hits theaters on May 8, 2026, and Mortal Kombat III is already locked and loaded at the script stage. Whether that means we’re heading toward an epic Shao Kahn invasion or something entirely unexpected, Warner Bros. clearly has big plans for the future of this franchise.