'Mummy' franchise to revive its legacy with its forth instalment

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is planning for forth installment, a very dark take on the old school monster, in 2026.

After 18 years, The Mummy,  released in 1999, 27 years after the successful 1999 Mummy, and 18 years after The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Universal’s beloved franchise is coming back to life, with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz set to reunite. It’s the kind of event that almost seems too good to be true, but with a release date finally in place, it’s now closer than ever to fruition. Here’s everything you need to know about the supernatural sequel.

The last entry to the original Mummy franchise premiered way back in 2008 and it’s been even longer since Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz have co-starred in one together. That makes their return all the more special, and Universal is treating the reunion with the appropriate grandeur. The Mummy 4 is set to premiere on May 19, 2028, nearly 20 years since Fraser’s last adventure as Rick O’Connell in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.

While Stephen Sommers is the name most closely associated with the Mummy films behind the camera, Universal has tapped two rising stars in horror to helm The Mummy 4. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the directors otherwise known as Radio Silence, already have plenty of experience rebooting a beloved franchise.

After breaking out with Ready Or Not, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett brought the Scream saga into the present day. They even delivered their own interpretation of a different Universal monster, Dracula’s daughter, in Abigail, so it’s easy to see why Universal would trust them with yet another horror property.

“Having stepped into Scream, our radar for jumping into another franchise is that it has to feel special,” Gillett recently told Empire. The Mummy 4 reportedly fits the bill. Gillett cited a script by David Coggeshall as a huge draw to the project. “It is very beautiful and sweeping and scary and fun,” he revealed, which sounds exactly like what fans of the Mummy films are hoping for, and what could really bring Radio Silence out of their comfort zone.

As exciting as the concept of a new Mummy film may be, there’s already a big hurdle to clear. The Mummy 3 didn’t bring the franchise to a favourable conclusion by recasting Weisz’s Evelyn O’Connell with a new actress. It’s also the worst film of the bunch, straying from the sweeping adventure and personal stakes that fueled the first Mummy and its sequel.

A scoop from The Hollywood Reporter suggests that The Mummy 4 might choose to erase the events of The Mummy 3 or attempt to retcon them. No specific plot details have been revealed just yet, but either way, we can expect the O’Connells to find themselves on a wild supernatural adventure with an undead menace.
Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz are currently in talks to star in The Mummy 4. As for other actors who could return, like Oded Fehr, who portrayed Ardeth Bay in The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, the jury’s still out, but it’d be nice to get an even bigger reunion for the new film.