“Get over here!” Even those not familiar with the Mortal Kombat video game franchise will likely have heard those three words uttered with epic conviction by one of the series’s most iconic characters, Scorpion. And while the franchise has made silver screen appearances in the past, this month’s Mortal Kombat II might just be its movie with the biggest heart.
On paper, the world of Mortal Kombat reads like a gamer’s fever dream—and that’s because it is. As a ‘fighting game’ that pits one player against another in a highly technical, deeply competitive battle, it is one of the world’s most well-known, dating back to 1992. However, unlike its popular cousins Street Fighter and Tekken, it is, by far, the bloodiest.
It’s a classic ‘bad guy versus good guy’ scenario: dark magic and blades made out of bone clashing with divine bolts of lightning and fiery fists. The result is what you might expect. Lots of fast-paced action, topped with plenty of the franchise’s iconic ‘fatality’ sequences. If you’re not familiar with the latter, I won’t go into detail here—one cursory search on YouTube will give you all the information you’d ever want, or need.
Therein lies a large chunk of its charm, though, especially as a film franchise. Why not suspend all your disbelief and embrace ridiculously campy spectacle? It’s all in good fun. Thankfully, for cinema-goers in 2026, Mortal Kombat II takes the foundation its 2021 prequel laid a step further, by bringing its characters closer to humanity than ever before.
The key factor in this seemingly out-of-place equation? The character of Kitana, played by Hong Kong-born, British actress Adeline Rudolph. As the warrior princess, Rudolph brings poise, grace and plenty of punching, kicking, fan-twirling (her signature weapons are twin, steel-bladed fans) action to the big screen, from start to finish.
The film opens with Kitana’s home being invaded by the evil armies of world-conquering archvillain Shao Kahn. After a swift defeat, the princess is left with nothing and adopted by Kahn, whose fearsome reputation eventually forces the good guys to band together in order to defeat him. Karl Urban as action film jockey Johnny Cage does the splits; Hiroyuki Sanada (of Shōgun fame) as Scorpion lets loose with his iconic line; and Adeline Rudolph as Kitana has her loyalties to friends, family and home pushed to the limit.
Mortal Kombat II is more than happy to lie in the bed it has made for decades, with blistering action choreography and cheesy dialogue alike. But unlike its predecessors, there are clearer glimmerings of emotion beating quietly at its heart, largely thanks to Rudolph’s performance.
It’s obvious she’s put in the work. Physically, she did many of her own impressive stunts. But mentally and emotionally, she’s also panned some real gold from the film’s sanguine waters, surfacing vulnerable human tension amidst all the film’s blood, gore and one-liners. To unpack her performance, Rudolph sat down with Vogue Singapore, discussing her growing appreciation for nerddom, the different shapes of strength and the importance of family in a fast-moving world.
This isn’t your first rodeo: you’ve acted in iconic franchises like Resident Evil and Hellboy before. How much of a nerd would you say you are in your daily life?
I’m a little low on that spectrum, because I didn’t grow up gaming. But now it’s been wonderful to be introduced to all these incredible worlds, which has made me really appreciate it so much more. I get to approach all of these franchises in a way where I can look at them with a fresh perspective—without having preconceived notions—and then build from there.
You’ve moved around quite a bit. How has that helped shape your creative identity?
I loved growing up in a hustle and bustle city like Hong Kong. I tell people all the time: it was my dream childhood. What’s so funny is that acting as a career wasn’t even on my radar at all. So while there’s a very rich film scene in Hong Kong, it’s also a very business-forward city—back then I thought I might want to be a lawyer, then I wanted to be a journalist and that’s what I wanted to pursue when I went to university in the United Kingdom, before acting and moving to the United States.
I definitely feel like my multicultural background has helped me approach my characters from different viewpoints. Growing up and being surrounded by so many different people, you inherently form a different lens with how to approach people—almost letting them come to you as they are. That’s also the way I approach my characters, from that standpoint of getting to know this person, where they’re from, how their world work—almost from a journalistic perspective.
How did you prepare for the role of Kitana?
In reality, there is so much to all these characters. Everything that I channeled is not something that I made up—it’s all quite literally in the games. There’s so much on the internet in terms of Kitana’s backstory: the loss of her father, growing up under Shao Kahn’s rule, her sisterhood with Jade and Mileena. I watched a lot of gameplay and went through all the lore to learn as much as I could about her. And then I just had to filter her essence in a way that would translate in the movie.
Going back to the idea of if I was a journalist in a parallel universe, this is the very first time that I’m taking on a role in a franchise with a pre-existing character, so it was really fun to dive into her backstory and do the research.
I imagine the physical training was intense. What was it like, and did you end up enjoying it?
Oh my gosh, I definitely ended up enjoying it, but it was very rigorous. They knew I didn’t have a martial arts background, but Malay Kim and the rest of the incredible stunt team were ready to work with me and I was ready to work with them. It wasn’t as simple as just learning the steps. They really took the time with me to drill tai chi, wushu and kung fu, and make sure that I was able to integrate them into Kitana’s fighting style.
Kitana’s father says something really powerful at the beginning of the film: “Strength is not a closed fist”. How does that sentiment resonate with you as an artist and performer?
You can’t always physically fight your way out of situations in your life, right? We also don’t always get placed in situations where we can necessarily fight our way out—so it’s about your mental strength, how you endure hardship throughout life, especially as an actor in this industry.
Strength is about resilience in the face of rejection or constructive criticism. It’s also important to embrace moments that are difficult and make sure that you use those moments to make yourself stronger.
Mortal Kombat II has a lot of thematic undercurrents tied to family. What does the word mean to you?
I really love the narrative thread of family in the movie—your people, your community—specifically for Kitana. It shows that the concept of family is so much more than what’s physically there. It’s a relationship and a bond that transcends place and time. Even family members who might have passed—they don’t mean any less to you because they’re gone.
My family means everything to me, especially being in this line of work, travelling a lot and being away from home. I’m constantly calling my sister, mom, dad, fiancé and my friends—understanding that even if we’re living in different places around the world, these are still relationships you need to foster, care for and not take for granted.
Do you have any advice for younger actors looking to carve their slice in the industry today?
There are moments when you know you’re not getting that call back, you’re not getting any work and you’re just waiting, and you feel like you’re not good enough. It’s easy to be down on yourself, but you have to stay strong. I know it sucks, and it’s okay to let that suck—allow yourself to acknowledge that. But don’t stop. I think that’s when that story ends.
Everyone gets to win. When you’re in a room of incredible people who are doing well, use that as motivation—we’ve got space for everyone and everyone will have their chance. I’m a firm believer of knowing that when you’re in a room where people are winning, you’re on the right track. Never see that as something that should discourage you. Your moment will happen at some point, it’s just about believing in yourself. And, you know, being a little delusional. We all have to be a little delusional to survive.
What’s on the horizon for Adeline Rudolph? Are there any cool projects that you’re excited for?
I’m in a TV show coming out called Neagley, which is the spin-off of the Reacher series on Amazon. Maria Sten plays the character Neagley and she’s incredible. I hope people really enjoy it. I’m also in a very fun indie movie called Perfect Girl, a psychological thriller with Arden Cho which dives into the darker sides of the K-pop world. I’m so excited for people to see that too.
Mortal Kombat II is in cinemas now.
