In 1999, The Mummy was a major box office hit, spawning a new franchise for Universal as star Brendan Fraser became a household name. Placing an emphasis on Indiana Jones-esque, globetrotting action, the series became a fan favorite, winning audiences over with its sense of fun and adventure. The mainline series seemingly came to a close with The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor back in 2008, but the IP is the latest Hollywood franchise to receive a legacy sequel. Months after word of The Mummy 4 (reuniting Fraser with Rachel Weisz) first broke, it’s now been confirmed when fans will get a chance to see the movie.
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According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Mummy 4 will hit theaters on May 19, 2028, nearly 20 years after Tomb of the Dragon Emperor premiered. Fraser and Weisz have finally closed deals to star. As previously reported, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, aka Radio Silence, are serving as directors.
The Mummy 4 Could Be One of the Biggest Hits of 2028
Universal was smart to secure a mid-May release date for The Mummy 4 while that window was still available. Right now, the 2028 calendar isn’t too crowded; The Mummy 4 is currently set to open a couple of weeks after an untitled Marvel movie and a week before an untitled Disney film. Assuming those release dates all stick, The Mummy 4 should be in solid position to do well at the box office. It shouldn’t face too much competition from the Marvel movie considering the two-week gap between release dates. Plus, Disney could opt to move its film out of the Memorial Day weekend to avoid a showdown with The Mummy. The Mouse House likes that holiday frame, but depending on what the project is, going head to head with a beloved franchise revival may not be a smart move.
By placing The Mummy 4 in the middle of summer movie season, Universal is casting a vote of confidence in the film, and it’s easy to see why. Not only has the original trilogy endured as one of its generation’s defining action/adventure series, Fraser himself has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity over the past few years, winning an Oscar for The Whale and appearing in a number of other well-received projects. It’s great to see him back headlining a major studio blockbuster, a development that serves as the culmination of his comeback arc. Fraser was great as a pulpy, old-school action hero in the first Mummy films, and it’ll be a lot of fun to watch him return to arguably his most famous role.
The Mummy 4 is also filling a void in the larger film landscape. With the Indiana Jones franchise now shelved and Uncharted 2 moving along slowly through development, there’s a lack of classic action/adventure films that harken back to the crowd-pleasing blockbusters of yesteryear. There should be sizable demand for The Mummy 4, especially once the marketing campaign revs up and nostalgia for the original films kicks in. While there are plenty of big-budget studio tentpoles playing on the big screen these days, there isn’t anything quite in the same vein as The Mummy.
Of course, for The Mummy 4 to live up to its potential as a premier summer blockbuster, it needs to be a quality film that has strong word of mouth. The project seems to be covered in that department, as Radio Silence seem like the ideal directors for the Mummy revival. They’ve made names for themselves by helming audience favorites like Ready or Not, Scream 2022 and Scream VI, demonstrating a keen ability to put a fresh spin on established franchise concepts. If anyone can breathe new life into The Mummy, it’s them, and it’ll be exciting to see what they can do with the large scope and scale of an adventure blockbuster. If The Mummy 4 is successful, it will undoubtedly lead to more follow-ups.
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