While it may have been almost 17 years since the release of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, often considered the worst in the series, it did leave us with a setting for a new The Mummy film in the future. In a past interview with MTV (via GeekTyrant), director Rob Cohen revealed how, outside Egypt, many cultures mummified the dead, saying:
They have a lot of mummies. The Aztec culture had a lot of mummies and some of their mummy designs for the Foundation Army were taken from Mexican mummies that they have found. So I think that somehow that might make the basis of a good story.
And with what happened to Brendan Fraser’s character in the film with The Pool of Eternal Life, there’s always a chance to witness Rick O’Connell back in action. And as it stands, there have been rumblings of a new film in the series being developed.
What Do We Know So Far About The Mummy 4?
According to reports made by Deadline, it seems like Brendan Fraser and his long-time co-star Rachel Weisz are in talks to return to The Mummy franchise after 17 years. Universal Pictures wanted to revive the franchise in the past with 2017’s The Mummy, featuring Tom Cruise in the lead, which tanked and failed to develop.
In contrast, this new film is set to bring back all the people who were associated with the production and development of the last three films in the series, like producer Sean Daniel. There have also been reports that filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett will be the ones helming the project.
At the moment, there have been no comments regarding what the story of the film will be, but reports suggest that this will not be a reboot, but a sequel to the 2008 film. A reboot film by Warner Bros. is still in the works, though, which is being helmed by director Lee Cornin, making it separate from Universal’s project.
Why Return to The Mummy Franchise Will Most Likely Fail Than Succeed
One of the biggest reasons the upcoming film may fail is Hollywood’s heavy reliance on nostalgia, packaged for modern times. And as we have seen so far, most of these bets have either underperformed or failed, unable to evolve into something new due to their adherence to nostalgia.
At the same time, the industry has shifted into a new era, where a genre like horror/adventure isn’t as popular as it used to be in the 2000s, which makes this film a hard sell, especially if it’s betting on nostalgia. And lastly, despite his major comeback in the industry by winning an Academy Award, Brendan Fraser reprising his role might not be equal to box office success.
But there’s always hope for the creative team to cook something that resonates with both nostalgia and a feeling of freshness to be brought, which we will have to wait and see in the future.
Here’s more information on the last film of The Mummy series.
Are you excited for The Mummy 4 when it releases? Tell us in the comments below.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is available on Apple TV (US).
