Summary
- The Mummy franchise is getting a reboot with a horror twist, but it’s not a Brendan Fraser revival.
- The new film will focus on horror, embracing a different direction from the original action-adventure formula.
- Fans hope Brendan Fraser will return, emphasizing the need for fun and adventure in a potential sequel.
The Mummy, a story almost as old as cinema itself, is getting yet another reboot, but is it really what fans want? While numerous adaptations exist, the 1999 action-adventure movie and its sequels arguably remain the most definitive versions, at least according to mainstream audiences today.
Since the Mummy character is in the public domain, anyone can make a movie about it, but they can’t simply copy what’s been done before. Naturally, many assumed the upcoming film would be a reboot of the iconic Brendan Fraser Mummy series. But no, it’s not that. Nor is it a revival of Universal’s failed Dark Universe attempt starring Tom Cruise.
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The Mummy Is Getting Yet Another Reboot?
New Take From Blumhouse & Horror Director Lee Cronin
Director Lee Cronin (Evil Dead Rise) is making a new Mummy movie, with Midsommar star Jack Reynor in the lead. New Line Cinema is backing the project, with horror powerhouses Atomic Monster and Blumhouse producing. Cronin’s company, Doppelgängers, is also involved. Production begins next week in Ireland, and the movie is set to release on April 17, 2026.
Considering the director’s previous works, the production houses involved, and now the lead actor, all signs point to the new Mummy movie fully embracing horror. In December 2024, Lee Cronin confirmed this in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter:
This will be unlike any Mummy movie you ever laid eyeballs on before. I’m digging deep into the earth to raise something very ancient and very frightening.
Plot details are still under wraps, but this new film has no connection to Stephen Sommers’ The Mummy (1999), starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. However, there have been multiple rumors of a prequel set in that universe, but it’s unlikely for this to be the Blumhouse movie currently in development. Some unconfirmed insider reports had previously claimed that a new reboot or direct sequel to the original might also be in the works.
The Mummy Franchise Returns To Horror, But Will It Work?
The Reboot Is Crying Out For More Action & Adventure
Blumhouse’s horror-driven Mummy will test whether audiences want the story to return to its home genre. Even Stephen Sommers’ The Mummy and its sequel, The Mummy Returns, struggled to keep the franchise moving forward without losing steam. This was evident in the critical and commercial failure of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor in 2008. Later, with the failed Dark Universe attempt, Universal learned the hard way that an MCU-style shared universe doesn’t work for these classic monsters.
The franchise going back to pure horror sounds good in theory, and Lee Cronin’s film might even pull it off. But honestly, any new Mummy movie will always be in the shadow of the 1999 film. It took a more Indiana Jones-style approach to The Mummy lore rather than following the original Universal Monsters movies starring the legendary Boris Karloff. And just like Harrison Ford’s Indy, Brendan Fraser’s Rick O’Connell is also too iconic to replace — even Tom Cruise couldn’t live up to his legacy.
The Mummy Reboot Should Follow Jurassic World’s Formula
A Brendan Fraser-Led Revival Would Be Box Office Gold
Perhaps new Mummy projects should take a page from Jurassic World‘s book, a film that leaned heavily on nostalgia while still delivering something new. A similar revival with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz could work wonders at the box office if it embraced a fun action-adventure tone rather than pure horror. Of course, the Jurassic World sequels eventually became cash grabs with Fallen Kingdom and Dominion, and that’s a pitfall the next Mummy movie should consciously avoid.
The filmmakers don’t need to look far for ideas; there were already plans for The Mummy 4. Despite Dragon Emperor’s mixed reception, Universal greenlit The Mummy: Rise of the Aztec. The South American setting and Aztec mythology could have been a fresh take on the series. However, in 2012, Universal canceled Rise of the Aztec to reboot The Mummy as part of the Dark Universe. Ironically, Tom Cruise, who once turned down the role of Rick O’Connell, became the new lead.
The Mummy’s Horror-Adventure Balance Still Works Today
It Borrowed From Indiana Jones But Created Its Very Own Magic
An adventure-driven movie can still have horror, and The Mummy proved that. The dialogue is full of banter, but it never becomes outright parody. Imhotep remains a real threat, and the stakes feel high throughout. The film never misses a chance to throw in a jump scare, keeping the horror-adventure balance just right. It borrows from Indiana Jones but still feels fresh in its own right.
Ancient curses and undead mummies have been Hollywood staples since the silent film era. But The Mummy blends classic horror elements with modern action and just the right amount of self-awareness. The film has gunfights, swordfights, booby-trapped tombs, and magical books that bring the dead to life. What really makes The Mummy stand out, though, is that it never takes itself too seriously amidst all this terror.
Will Brendan Fraser Return To The Mummy Franchise?
Mummy 4 Needs To Happen Before It’s Too Late
Following his Oscar-winning renaissance with The Whale, fans are hopeful that Brendan Fraser might return to The Mummy franchise. He’s open to it, telling Variety in 2022 that the reboot failed because it focused too much on horror instead of adventure. However, Fraser has also admitted that making the original movies took a serious toll on him. He suffered multiple injuries, leading to years of medical issues that kept him in and out of Hollywood. Despite this, he still loves The Mummy.
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.
With an 80-year-old Harrison Ford playing Indiana Jones, anything is possible. CGI and stunt doubles could help ease Fraser’s physical burden, but time is running out for a proper sequel. The bigger question is whether Rachel Weisz and John Hannah will also return, as the trio’s chemistry is what made the first two movies special. Will The Mummy 4 ever happen? And if it does, will it follow Rise of the Aztec or take a different path? Only time will tell.