The Mummy is a truly classic monster movie series, and it received a fresh start in 2027. The Universal Monsters—including characters like Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Invisible Man—are well-known for creating one of the earliest shared cinematic universes, with films released from the 1910s through the 1950s. These monsters have remained popular ever since, influencing countless movies and television shows.
The classic Universal Monsters movies are a thing of the past, but the studio has repeatedly tried to bring them back. Their most well-known recent effort, a planned ‘Dark Universe’ series, flopped after just one film: Tom Cruise’s 2017 The Mummy. Now, Universal is taking a different approach with individual monster reboots directed by different filmmakers – like the new The Mummy by Lee Cronin, The Invisible Man, and Wolf Man. However, a revival attempt from almost thirty years ago actually performed better than any of these more recent efforts.
Universal Reinvented The Mummy Franchise 27 Years Ago Today
Released in 1999, The Mummy is a standout film from the 1990s and a brilliant reimagining of the classic Universal Monsters series. Director Stephen Sommers shifted the focus from horror to action and adventure, making it feel more like Indiana Jones than a typical horror movie. While it departs from the original Mummy films, this change is a key part of what makes it so enjoyable and memorable.
The 1999 film The Mummy stars Brendan Fraser as adventurer Rick O’Connell and Rachel Weisz as librarian Evelyn Carnahan, who find themselves facing the consequences of disturbing an ancient priest’s tomb. Universal Pictures had been trying to revive The Mummy series since the 1980s, but it wasn’t until 1997 that director Stephen Sommers presented a concept that moved forward. His idea, a blend of the adventure styles of Indiana Jones and Jason and the Argonauts, is the film that audiences ultimately saw.
When The Mummy came out on May 7, 1999, it was a major hit. Made with a budget of $80 million, the film earned $422.5 million worldwide. It also had a very strong opening weekend, bringing in $43 million – the ninth-highest opening weekend ever at the time. Critics generally liked the film, and it currently has a 64% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This version of The Mummy was different from earlier ones, focusing on action and adventure, and it launched a popular series in the early 2000s.
In 2001, a follow-up movie called The Mummy Returns came out. It continued the story of Rick and Evelyn as they dealt with the return of Imhotep, who was unintentionally resurrected by their son, Alex. Then, in 2008, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor was released, with the team battling the Dragon Emperor Qin Shi Huang.
In addition to the original Mummy movies, the franchise also launched a spin-off series with The Scorpion King in 2002. This film, starring Dwayne Johnson, continued the story from The Mummy Returns and led to several sequels: The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior (2008), The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption (2012), The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power (2015), and The Scorpion King: Book of Souls (2018).
The Mummy Is Finally Returning With Another Sequel In 2027
The Mummy film series is coming back after almost 20 years! The Mummy 4 is officially being made, with initial reports surfacing in November 2025. The movie will be directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who directed Ready or Not, and will bring back Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, and John Hannah as their characters from the earlier films.
Not much is known about the plot of The Mummy 4, but Rachel Weisz will be back after not appearing in the third movie. The film was initially scheduled to come out in 2028, but now it’s set for release on October 15, 2027 (according to Variety). While details are still scarce, fans can look forward to the next Mummy movie arriving sooner than expected.
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2026-05-07 17:18