Egyptian actress Tara Emad has joined the cast of Universal's THE MUMMY: BOOK OF THE DEAD, with Dread Central reporting that she has a major role in the sequel reuniting Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. The film is already in production.
Dread Central's Oct. 16 exclusive, citing sources, describes Emad's part as one of the film's leads. Her character has not been disclosed. Two days later, Egyptian outlet El Watan reported that the film's official Instagram account had welcomed Emad to the cast and that she had posted her own message of thanks on her account. We have not independently verified those posts.
Neither Universal nor the filmmakers have publicly said who she is playing.
Who Is Tara Emad?
Emad works in Egyptian film and television. Dread Central lists her credits as Diamond Dust, the Arabic-language adaptation of Suits and The Blue Elephant 2.
Her casting adds a newcomer to a lineup that already mixes returning franchise faces with new names.
The Cast So Far
Fraser and Weisz are back as Rick and Evelyn O'Connell. It is their first on-screen reunion since The Mummy Returns in 2001. Weisz did not appear in 2008's The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.
Dread Central also lists John Hannah as Jonathan Carnahan, Oded Fehr as Ardeth Bay and Kevin J. O'Connor as Beni Gabor. Michael Johnston (Obsession) and Numan Acar (Spider-Man: Far From Home) round out the reported cast, with no roles specified for either.
Several of those names surfaced earlier. CBM reported Hannah's return in March, Johnston's casting in a key role in July, and Fehr and O'Connor's returns in August, when Arnold Vosloo, who played Imhotep in the first two films, was reported to be in talks. Dread Central's list does not mention Vosloo, and his status has not been confirmed. Fraser and Weisz were photographed together on set earlier this month.
O'Connor's return comes with a wrinkle: Beni was killed off in the 1999 original. How the character comes back has not been explained.
The Filmmakers and the Calendar
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett of Radio Silence are behind the camera. The duo's credits include Ready or Not, Scream (2022), Scream VI and Abigail. David Coggeshall, whose previous credits include Orphan: First Kill, wrote the screenplay.
Universal announced the official title on Oct. 15, along with a theatrical release date of Oct. 15, 2027. The studio is not sharing plot details.
The 1999 Mummy blended horror, adventure, romance and comedy, and it was a major box office success. A sequel, The Mummy Returns, followed in 2001. Tomb of the Dragon Emperor arrived seven years after that.
What Is Still Unknown
Emad's character, how her role connects to the O'Connells and the plot of Book of the Dead all remain under wraps. Universal has also not said how the returning supporting characters fit into the story.
More casting details may surface as production continues toward that October 2027 release.
Who do you think Tara Emad is playing, and which familiar faces or creatures do you want to see in THE MUMMY: BOOK OF THE DEAD?