Despite getting mixed reviews at the time, Stephen Sommers' The Mummy (1999) proved to be a decent (if unspectacular) hit when it was released, and has remained a firm fan-favorite over the years.
Two direct sequels and a Scorpion King spin-off starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson weren't nearly as successful, and Universal's more recent reboot starring Tom Cruise bombed to such a degree that it closed the tomb on the studio's plans for a Dark Universe franchise after a single movie.
“It is hard to make that movie,” Fraser said of the failed reboot back in 2022. “The ingredient that we had going for our Mummy, which I didn’t see in the new one, was fun. That was what was lacking in that incarnation. It was too much of a straight-ahead horror movie. The Mummy should be a thrill ride, but not terrifying and scary.”
Rumors have persisted that another Mummy movie is in development, and we recently got word that Universal Pictures was moving forward with a direct sequel, with stars original Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in talks to return for a fourth instalment from Radio Silence's Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (Scream, Abigail).
Now, Fraser has confirmed that he will indeed reprise the role of Rick O'Connell.
“The one I wanted to make was never made,” Fraser told The Associated Press (via FearHQ.com). "The third one was a model of … how can I say this to the AP reporter? NBC had the rights to broadcast the Olympics that year. So they put two together and we went to China. Working in Shanghai, an incredible experience. I’m proud of the third one because I think it’s a good standalone movie. We picked up and did what we do with a different crew on deck and gave it our best shot. But the one I wanted to make is forthcoming. And I’ve been waiting 20 years for this call. Sometimes it was loud, sometimes it was a faint telegraph. Now? It’s time to give the fans what they want.”
There is another Mummy movie on the way from Evil Dead Rise director Lee Cronin, which recently changed its title to The Resurrected (we now know why).
"The Mummy is a rousing, suspenseful and horrifying epic about an expedition of treasure-seeking explorers in the Sahara Desert in 1925. Stumbling upon an ancient tomb, the hunters unwittingly set loose a 3,000-year-old legacy of terror, which is embodied in the vengeful reincarnation of an Egyptian priest who had been sentenced to an eternity as one of the living dead."
Were you a fan of The Mummy? How do you feel about a direct sequel starring Fraser? Drop us a comment down below.