Info in Movie News | Universal Pictures has committed to reuniting one of its most popular action-adventure franchises, The Mummy, with the audience. It is said that Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz will be reprising their characters of Rick O’Connell and Evelyn Carnahan, respectively, in the next chapter of the story after more than twenty years. The reboot is riding on a strong wave of nostalgia for the early 2000s era and also a renewed recognition of Fraser’s stunning comeback after his Oscar for The Whale. For the fans who have been there from the start, this new venture means going back to the adventurous, lighthearted, and fun vibe that made the original The Mummy movies immortal.
According to Deadline, the directing duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, also known as Radio Silence, will be leading the next installment of The Mummy by Universal Pictures. Their work on the Scream series is one of the reasons they were chosen, besides, they got the credit for 2019 thriller Ready or Not. The next movie in the franchise will have a script written by David Coggeshall, who has previously written for The Family Plan and Orphan: First Kill. The producer Sean Daniel, the man behind the original trilogy, is already on board and along with Project X Entertainment’s William Sherak, James Vanderbilt, and Paul Neinstein, they have both the forward-looking and heritage insight required for this highly anticipated sequel.
As opposed to a reboot, the new The Mummy is said to be the first movie that directly follows the events of Stephen Sommers’ original movies, The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (2001). It is reported that the movie will not take into account the events of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), which had Fraser but not Weisz. With this creative decision, Universal wants to recreate the same charm, love story, and exhilarating adventure elements of the first movies. The studio’s effort to give a new life to the series with Tom Cruise’s 2017 version was not met with good reviews even though it managed to pull more than $400 million globally. The movie’s deficiency in humor and the heavy focus on horror were the reasons that Universal decided to stop its "Dark Universe" project that was supposed to be a hub for its classic monster stories.
It emotionally means a lot to many people, Brendan Fraser's possible return as Rick O'Connell, especially since he has recently regained his position in Hollywood. After he was forced to hide from the public for some time due to personal and health issues, Fraser came back to win the Oscar with his performance in The Whale. In an interview, the actor said that he would consider it if someone came up with a great idea for his character in Mummy, and that the movie should always be "fun" and not "scary." Rachel Weisz is known primarily as the smart and brave Evelyn Carnahan character, and she has also been very active lately by working on Prime Video’s Dead Ringers and Marvel’s Black Widow. The immediate effect of their reunion is the old-time chemistry that made their characters so memorable.
This venture is a throwback to the past as well as a clever business plan for Universal Pictures. The Mummy movies made a total of over $800 million, gave rise to the success of The Scorpion King, and were the main source of inspiration for the theme rides at Universal Studios in Hollywood, Orlando, and Singapore. The unique combination of the past, mystery, humor, and supernatural adventure made The Mummy different from the other monster movies. So, with the current sophisticated visual effects and a creative crew who is good at mixing horror and humor, the follow-up movie can possibly have the same lovely adventurous theme and also be attractive to the contemporary audience.
Fans have started wondering about the stories that may be told. Some insiders have hinted that this project may be about the O'Connell family in the distant future with the possibility of rick and evelyn's son alex making an appearance, last time we saw him as an adult in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. The setting is rumored to return to Egypt, reconnecting the story with its roots of ancient mythology and lost civilizations. Universal still hasn't backed up the release with an official date, but given that Radio Silence’s Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is scheduled for April 2026, most industry forecasts are pointing to The Mummy being released in late 2026.
For the global audiences, including those in Indonesia where The Mummy is still cherished as a classic, this comeback is the best mix of the past and the present. It is a return to the fun, the laughter, the intrigue, and the love - the very same elements that made the original movies so memorable. If everything goes smoothly, The Mummy might be the movie that revives the genre of adventure storytelling for the new generation while giving a nod to the heritage that came first.
Source: Deadline, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter
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