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It is finally time for The Mummy to rise again. According to Deadline, Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz are currently in talks to return for another installment of their iconic series. There have been at least two other additions to the franchise, most notedly 2002’s The Scorpion King starring Dwayne Johnson aka the Rock, but this will be Fraser and Weisz’s first appearances since 2001’s The Mummy Returns. Nothing is official yet, but it’s looking like it’s basically a done deal.
Universal Pictures is returning to one of its most beloved action-adventure franchises, with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in discussions to return for a new Mummy movie, presumably reprising their roles from the studio’s Mummy films of the ’90s and 2000s, multiple sources tell Deadline.
Previously, Fraser and Weisz starred in two Mummy movies together: 1999’s The Mummy and 2001’s The Mummy Returns, both based on one of Universal’s original movie monsters of the early 20th century, both directed by Stephen Sommers, and both grossing over $400 million worldwide. The 1999 film introduced Fraser as Rick O’Connell, a roguish American adventurer and former French Foreign Legion soldier, and Weisz as Evelyn Carnahan, an English Egyptologist working at the Cairo Museum of Antiquities. Over the course of the two films, the pair go from reluctant partners to a married couple with a young son, battling ancient curses from the likes of the resurrected Egyptian high priest Imhotep. Weisz’s Evelyn dies in the second film, after discovering she’s the reincarnation of an Egyptian princess, though she’s ultimately revived by Rick.
Contributing to Fraser’s rise as one of the biggest stars of the late ’90s and early 2000s, these particular Mummy films were so popular they were spun off into famed attractions for Universal parks in Hollywood, Orlando, FL and Singapore. The franchise continued with 2002’s spinoff The Scorpion King, starring Dwayne Johnson, which grossed over $180 million worldwide, as well as 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor ($403 million global), where Fraser returned without Weisz under the direction of Rob Cohen.
Universal most recently attempted to revitalize the IP with 2017’s The Mummy, starring Tom Cruise, which was intended to launch a new series of monster movies under the banner of the Dark Universe. While the film performed solidly at the box office — taking in $409 million worldwide — it was critically panned, leading Universal to scrap its broader Dark Universe plans.
Turning back to The Mummy franchise makes perfect sense for Universal, given the real wave of millennial nostalgia for both all things Fraser and his Mummy films, in particular. This built-in fandom would be an asset at a time when the studio has fared poorly at the box office with its attempts at modern movie monster flicks including Abigail, directed by the duo from Radio Silence.
Action/adventure movies – both serious/fun and borderline cheesy – are pretty much my jam, so while I realize that this reboot is probably right up there with the jokingly proposed geriatric Speed reboot, I don’t hate this idea. I rewatched the first two movies about a year ago, and they were really fun. If Brendan and Rachel are both up for it, then why not? If the intention is to reboot the franchise, then they better take the opportunity to pass the baton properly and not fumble it like the Indiana Jones franchise did with Shia LeBouff and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. On that note, I have absolutely no recollection of Tom Cruise’s attempted reboot, but I feel like I may have to give it a pity/curiosity watch now.
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