After the success of last year's Mortal Kombat feature film in theatres and streaming -- it comes as little surprise that a sequel to the franchise reboot is moving forward. New reports have stirred interest, reaffirming Simon McQuoid as returning director. Read on:

Deadline reports the slightly underwhelming news of a sequel moving forward at New Line, with sources informing them Simon McQuoid will again return to helm a follow-up installment. Jeremy Slater (Marvel's Moon Knight) joins as new writer seeking to learn lessons from the first film to deliver a "satisfying" second go around.

[Related Article: Mortal Kombat Aims to Embrace Weird Universe in Movie Sequel]

The Australian commercial director was first publicly attached to the video game series in late 2016, enduring a prolonged five year phase of development with high-profile producer James Wan before making his theatrical directing debut. Wan remarked upon the many creative & business trials of reviving the series, in 2018.

Mortal Kombat has continued to be an internal engagement ratings benchmark for streaming service HBO Max, while also outperforming expectations with a modest theatrical outing during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite significant interest in Mortal Kombat's return to the movies twenty-four years after Mortal Kombat: Annihilation -- and publicly promised aspirations to "do it right" -- the finished product proved controversial with die-hard fans of the franchise who balked at its many deviations from firmly established lore. The reboot drew surprising comparisons to its notorious 1997 predecessor.

The notable absence of Johnny Cage from the pre-tournament plotline has led to several noteworthy submissions from interested actors, while Simon McQuoid himself has discussed potential for a sequel laden with new and returning characters.

[Related Articles: Mortal Kombat Producer on Johnny Cage & Rain Omissions]

Are you excited for the return of Simon McQuoid as director? What do you hope to see from a sequel movie? Share your thoughts in the comments below and go deeper into movies in the Media & Merchandise forum!