Adeline Rudolph Joins Cast Of 'Mortal Kombat 2' As Kitana

The cast of Warner Bros. Discovery's "Mortal Kombat" sequel continues to grow. Now, "The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" star Adeline Rudolph ("Riverdale," "Resident Evil") as the longtime Kombatant, Kitana, per The Hollywood Reporter.

The sequel to the 2021 movie is currently in the works, with Simon McQuoid set to return as the director of the upcoming sequel. McQuoid directs from a script by Jeremy Slater, which will see the fighters of Earthrealm continue their fight against Outworld to protect our existence.

Kitana has been a longtime fighter in the "Mortal Kombat" video game series, debuting in arcades in "Mortal Kombat II," first released in 1993. She's best known for her signature and deadly steel war fans. Kitana is initially introduced as the daughter of the Outworld emperor Shao Kahn. It's later revealed that Kahn murdered her father, the former emperor, to take control of her homeland, Edenia. Kitana is also the daughter of another longtime "MK" fighter, Sindel, and the sister or clone template for the fan-favorite Mileena, who also debuted in Mortal Kombat II.

https://youtu.be/NnjJiwYsT9c

The video games initially introduced Mileena as Kitana's "twin sister." Kitana would later turn against Outworld and ally with the Special Forces of Earthrealm in their fight against Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung.

Rudolph joins the cast for the sequel alongside newcomers Karl Urban ("The Lord of the Rings," "The Boys") as Johnny Cage and Tati Gabrielle ("Uncharted," "You") as Jade. Rudolph will re-team with her "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" co-star for the upcoming film. Gabrielle portrayed Prudence Night in the show, with Rudolph describing Agatha.

https://youtu.be/R2gbPxeNk2E

Much of the cast of the first film is also expected to reprise their roles for the sequel. The first film was released in theaters and on HBO Max in April 2021 during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While the film only made about $84 million worldwide, it was said to have been one of HBO Max's biggest hits on the streamer, so apparently, it did well enough to garner a sequel.

The sequel is being produced by James Wan ("The Conjuring," "Saw," "Aquaman") and Michael Clear for their Atomic Monster banner and Broken Road Production's Todd Garner. McQuoid and E. Bennett Walsh are also attached to produce the sequel.

Rudolph's casting marks her big-screen debut for the upcoming franchise sequel. She's also set to appear as the female lead in the forthcoming film, "Hellboy: The Crooked Man" from Millenium Films, which is currently in the works by director Brian Taylor. The film will see Jack Kesy don the makeup and stone hand of the classic comic book character created by Mike Mignola.

"Mortal Kombat 2" does not yet have a release date. Also, the entertainment industry faces an ongoing labor strike by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). The AMPTP's current contracts with both the acting and directing unions will expire on June 30. If new deals with the blocks are not reached by then, the acting union SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild of America (DGA) might also declare strikes.

While some big-budget tentpole sequels, such as "Beetlejuice 2" and "Deadpool 3" have already started filming during the WGA strike, multiple other projects have been paused until the strike issues are resolved.

https://youtu.be/UZ6eFEjFfJ0

Meanwhile, the "Mortal Kombat" video game franchise is as strong as ever. The next installment in the game series, "Mortal Kombat 1," has been announced for a September 19 release. Kitana and her deadly fans will be back for the upcoming game.