Universal Pictures is developing a new installment in its beloved Mummy franchise, with original stars Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in talks to reprise their roles. The project will be directed by Radio Silence, the filmmaking duo behind recent Scream films and Ready or Not. Details on the plot remain under wraps, but the revival taps into nostalgia for the late '90s and early 2000s action-adventure hits.
Announcement Details
Multiple sources confirm that Universal Pictures is reviving The Mummy franchise, which originally captivated audiences with its blend of adventure, horror, and humor in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Brendan Fraser is in discussions to return as Rick O’Connell, the roguish adventurer, while Rachel Weisz eyes a comeback as Evelyn Carnahan, the Egyptologist who becomes his partner. The films that launched their on-screen chemistry—The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (2001), both directed by Stephen Sommers—grossed over $800 million worldwide combined and spawned theme park attractions at Universal parks in Hollywood, Orlando, and Singapore.
Creative Team
Directing duties fall to Radio Silence, the collective featuring Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, known for revitalizing the Scream series through its recent reboots and the 2019 horror hit Ready or Not. They previously collaborated with producer Project X Entertainment on those projects, which continues here. The script is by David Coggeshall, whose credits include Netflix's The Family Plan and The Deliverance. Producing the film are franchise veteran Sean Daniel alongside William Sherak, James Vanderbilt, and Paul Neinstein of Project X Entertainment.
Franchise Background
The Mummy series expanded with 2002's The Scorpion King spinoff starring Dwayne Johnson and 2008's The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, which brought Fraser back without Weisz. Universal's 2017 attempt to reboot the property with Tom Cruise as the lead earned $409 million globally but received poor reviews, derailing plans for a broader Dark Universe of monster movies. This new entry arrives amid millennial nostalgia for Fraser's era-defining roles, especially following his recent career resurgence with an Oscar win for The Whale. Weisz, also an Oscar winner, has been active in projects like Dead Ringers and Black Widow.
Representatives for Universal declined to comment, and no release date has been announced. The project represents a strategic return to proven IP for the studio, which has struggled with recent monster-themed releases like Abigail.
