1.2k Views As recently as 2009, a second sequel to Paul W.S Anderson’s “Mortal Kombat” (1995) was in the works at New Line. Where did it all go bung for an OG follow-up? Distributor New Line Cinema and producer Threshold Entertainment had high hopes for a franchise, even signing star Robin Shou (Liu Kang) to a three-movie contract. But after the dismal performance of 1997’s “Mortal Kombat : Annihilation” at the box office, let alone the ugly reaction to the film itself from both critics and fans of the series (heck, even the game’s co-creator Ed Boon hated it), it was no longer a given the “victorious” original would spawn a second sequel.