Adeline Rudolph has made a massive leap in the world of video game adaptations. While Netflix's Resident Evil series fizzled after one season in 2022, Mortal Kombat II is now dominating the box office. Rudolph, who stars as Kitana opposite Karl Urban's Johnny Cage, recently shared behind-the-scenes secrets about the film's most memorable moment.
In an interview with Collider Ladies Night, Rudolph revealed that the film's stunning final shot—where Kitana, Johnny, Sonya, Raiden, Jade, Kano, and Baraka unite to resurrect fallen champions using a captured Quan Chi—was actually a reshoot addition. “We did that during reshoots,” she said. “I think they were thinking about how they could end it, and then this was the addition, which I am so happy ended up happening.”
The slow-motion sequence, which shows the group striding toward the camera together, was a last-minute creative decision. Rudolph recalled the excitement on set: “They were like, ‘Alright, two-shot, you guys. Four-shot here, two-shot here.’ Then we got to actually see it on the monitor after because we know it's gonna be in slo-mo. I remember us watching it on set that day just all being like, ‘Oh, this is cool. This looks so awesome!’”
Rudolph also discussed her hopes for a third Mortal Kombat film. “I will come back, 110%. There's no question about it,” she said, though she acknowledged the uncertainty: “You never know if you're in the next one or not. I’ve definitely made it very clear that I’d be honored to do more of these.”
If a third film gets greenlit, Rudolph has specific ideas for Kitana's story. She wants to explore the dynamic between Kitana, Mileena, and Queen Sindel. “I think Mileena’s a really interesting character, especially the dynamic between the three of them. That could be something,” she said. She also hopes to delve deeper into Kitana's relationship with her mother, Sindel, who appears as a revenant in the sequel. “Even in this movie, you can see Kitana can't let her go. Her mom’s a revenant. She’s dead. She’s a shell of herself, and even still, when Shao Kahn threatens to crush her skull, she can't do it. So, I think there’s a world where that's something that we can explore.”
Rudolph also name-dropped the Liu Kang and Kitana romance from the game lore, as well as more material with Raiden. “There's so much to explore. I'll take anything,” she said.
With a $40 million domestic opening weekend, Mortal Kombat II is already a hit. The film's success has also boosted interest in the original 2021 reboot, which is now streaming. For more on Rudolph's journey, check out her full Collider Ladies Night interview.
