Millennial nostalgia just scored a major win. Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz are reportedly in talks to return for a brand new ‘Mummy’ movie at Universal Pictures, potentially reprising their beloved roles as Rick O’Connell and Evelyn Carnahan.
The news has fans of the late ’90s and early 2000s franchise buzzing with excitement, and honestly, who can blame them?
According to reports, Radio Silence‘s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett will direct from a script by David Coggeshall. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but franchise veteran Sean Daniel will produce alongside William Sherak, James Vanderbilt, and Paul Neinstein of Project X Entertainment.
The original duo starred in 1999’s ‘The Mummy’ and 2001’s ‘The Mummy Returns,’ both of which were massive global hits, each raking in over $400 million worldwide. The chemistry between the Oscar winner and his co-star was electric, and their characters’ evolution from reluctant partners to married parents battling ancient curses made the films appointment viewing. Weisz didn’t return for 2008’s ‘Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,’ which earned $403 million but lacked the spark of the first two installments.
Universal’s last attempt to revive the property came in 2017 with Tom Cruise in a critically panned reboot that was supposed to launch the Dark Universe. While it made $409 million globally, the negative reception killed those plans. Now, the studio is wisely returning to what worked, banking on the built-in fanbase that’s only grown stronger with time. The Academy Award winner’s recent career resurgence following ‘The Whale’ only sweetens the deal.
No release date has been announced, but with Radio Silence at the helm and the original stars back in action, this could be the franchise comeback fans have been waiting for.