Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)

Mortal Kombat Annihilation is a 1997 American martial arts fantasy film based on the video game franchise Mortal Kombat. It is the second installment in the Mortal Kombat film series and a sequel to the 1995 film. Largely adapted from the 1995 video game Mortal Kombat 3, Annihilation follows Liu Kang and his allies as they attempt to prevent the malevolent Shao Kahn from conquering Earthrealm. Directed by John R. Leonetti, the film stars Robin Shou as Liu Kang, Talisa Soto as Kitana, James Remar as Rayden, Sandra Hess as Sonya Blade, Lynn “Red” Williams as Jax and Brian Thompson as Shao Kahn. Only Shou and Soto reprised their roles, with the other characters from the previous film being recast.

Mortal Kombat Annihilation was theatrically released on November 21, 1997, by New Line Cinema. It received negative reviews and grossed $51.3 million on a $30 million budget. A direct sequel was consequently canceled and a third film languished in development hell for nearly two decades until the series was rebooted in 2021.