An Iconic Horror Blockbuster Trend Started 27 Years Ago Today (And Ended Only 5 Years Later)

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Action horror could be popular again, but it’s been 27 years since a truly standout movie defined the genre. While Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is a thrilling and scary ride, this new, R-rated reboot makes it clear the series has shifted away from the fun, action-packed style of the original films. Twenty-seven years ago, Brendan Fraser’s The Mummy movies started a trend in horror that lasted for five years.

As a huge fan of action-horror, I remember when Stephen Sommers’ The Mummy absolutely blew up in 1999. It was a massive hit, making over $400 million on an $80 million budget and really kicked off this wave of action-horror movies. It’s funny, because exactly five years later, on May 7th, 2004, Sommers released Van Helsing. Sadly, it didn’t do so well, and it feels like that movie quietly marked the end of that whole action-horror boom.

The Mummy Started The Action Horror Boom On May 7, 1999

The movie The Mummy was both a popular and critical success when it came out, though it’s appreciated even more now than it was initially. What was once considered a simple, enjoyable summer movie is now seen as a classic – and one of the best films to emerge from the wave of action horror movies in the early 2000s. It’s worth noting that many other filmmakers were also striving for similar success at the time.

Following the popularity of The Mummy, a wave of action horror films like Thirteen Ghosts, Ghosts of Mars, the Underworld series, the Resident Evil movies, Doom, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and House of the Dead were released. While these films weren’t generally praised by critics, they established action horror as the dominant trend in the genre. At the same time, movies such as Blade II, Hellboy, Constantine, and Dog Soldiers showed that action horror could also be critically successful and well-received.

Van Helsing’s Box Office Underperformance Ended The Action Horror Boom On May 7, 2004

Action horror quickly became popular at the box office, but its success didn’t last. The disappointing performance of the movie Van Helsing was a key reason, especially considering how surprisingly successful The Mummy had been just five years earlier. However, other things contributed to its decline. The popularity of films like The Ring (2002) and Saw (2004) led to many imitations, and after 9/11, horror movies generally became darker, more violent, and aimed at an older audience, returning to more frequent R-ratings.

While a few big-budget PG-13 action horror films like 2007’s I Am Legend were released after the genre’s prime, the late 2000s were mostly defined by two trends: Japanese horror remakes and gritty, realistic psychological thrillers heavily influenced by the success of Saw and Hostel. Slashers also made a comeback during this time. This shift was clear just five years after The Mummy popularized action horror, as Van Helsing demonstrated the genre had already evolved.

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2026-05-08 09:10