In the two decades since The Mummy and The Mummy Returns were released, the action-adventure revivals of the Universal classic have become even more beloved since their initial release. Given that the two films made $418 million and $435 million at the global box office, respectively, that’s saying something about their popularity. To cap off their place in pop culture, though, The Mummy films have reached the status where the studio realized that this acclaim is ripe for a new story, and a new film with original stars Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz has been confirmed.
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Set to debut in 2028, the new Mummy film is currently without a title, though fans have been calling it simply “The Mummy 4,” since it follows in the canon after 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. That film was somewhat controversial upon release, though, as Weisz wasn’t present. Now we have an answer about that movie’s status with regard to the new film, as directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett have confirmed it doesn’t count anymore. When asked specifically about that film’s place in the canon by EW, Bettinelli-Olpin revealed, “Well, Rachel is in this one;” Gillett added, “That should answer the question for you.”
The Mummy 4 May Technically be The Mummy 3 Now After Director Update
The arrival of The Mummy 4, a legacy sequel being developed based on the still beloved status of the original two movies and their characters, isn’t the first time this has been done with the series. Back in 2008, the aforementioned Tomb of the Dragon Emperor was another attempt at this. As noted, Rachel Weisz didn’t return for the film and was instead replaced by Maria Bello. When asked at the time why she didn’t return, the actress cited issues with the script, in addition to having just given birth to her son. The good news is that Weisz returning for the series now paints a good picture for what the sequel holds for us, and the directors know that.
“I don’t think Brendan and Rachel are getting involved unless they love that script, and what they read, I think they really liked,” Bettinelli-Olpin added. “And it’s a good script. It’s gonna be fun to make.”
By eliminating Tomb of the Dragon Emperor from the canon, a film that most fans don’t really consider part of that original pair of films anyway, the movie opens itself up to not being hindered by a film that holds a 15% on Rotten Tomatoes. That said, there’s potential for The Mummy 4 to fall into a trap that few other movies manage, repeating itself by ignoring a previous sequel. In the context of Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Brendan Fraser’s Rick O’Connell has retired from adventuring, his wife Evie has become a writer of pulp adventure novels, and their son Alex is taking after his father and hopes to become an archeologist. Though these specific details may be different in the new film, one hopes there’s a route into the story that doesn’t follow the same narrative beats.
One character that has not yet been mentioned as being a part of the upcoming Mummy reboot is a major one, Alex O’Connell. The son of Rick and Evie made his debut in The Mummy Returns, played Freddie Boath, and was played by Luke Ford in Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. So far, though, there’s been no mention of that character’s status in the film; hopefully, he doesn’t suffer the fate of Mutt Williams from Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and die off-screen.
The Mummy 4 will hit theaters on May 19, 2028.
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