Universal Pictures is reviving The Mummy franchise, with original stars Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz set to return for a new installment to be directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the team behind Ready or Not (2019).
The film is described as a sequel rather than a reboot, expected to disregard the events of 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, as per US media reports.
Sean Daniel, producer of the original The Mummy trilogy, is returning to produce alongside Radio Silence collaborators William Sherak, James Vanderbilt, and Paul Neinstein under their Project X Entertainment banner. David Coggeshall penned the screenplay.
The 1999 original, directed and co-written by Stephen Sommers, became one of Universal’s biggest early-2000s hits, grossing more than USD 422 million worldwide.
The story follows adventurer Rick O’Connell (Fraser), librarian Evelyn Carnahan (Weisz) and her brother Jonathan (John Hannah) as they journey to the lost Egyptian city of Hamunaptra. Their expedition accidentally awakens Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), a cursed high priest mummified alive for killing Pharaoh Seti I. Resurrected through the Book of the Dead, Imhotep unleashes a series of plagues while seeking to revive his lover, Anck-su-namun, using Evelyn as a sacrifice.
The 2001 sequel, The Mummy Returns, picks up in 1933 with Rick and Evelyn married and raising their son, Alex (Freddie Boath). The discovery of the Bracelet of Anubis draws them into another ancient curse tied to the Scorpion King, a warrior who once bargained with the god Anubis for power. When a cult resurrects Imhotep to control the King’s army, Alex becomes the key to unlocking the path to the oasis of Ahm Shere.
Fraser’s recent career resurgence, crowned by his Oscar-winning turn in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale (2022), helped reignite Universal’s interest in reviving the franchise, as per The Hollywood Reporter. Weisz has also maintained a strong screen presence with roles in Amazon’s Dead Ringers and Marvel’s Black Widow.