John Hannah Teases Possible Return to The Mummy Franchise
John Hannah hints at a potential reunion with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz for a new Mummy sequel, while a separate horror reboot is set to shake up the legend this April.
Fans of ancient curses and sand-swept escapades have been left speculating once again, as John Hannah, the original Jonathan Carnahan, has broken his silence on the much-discussed prospect of a fourth instalment in the Mummy saga. The Scottish actor, who played the quick-witted sibling to Rachel Weisz’s Evelyn, recently shared his thoughts on the swirling sequel rumours, which have been fuelled by none other than Brendan Fraser himself.
Speaking to RadioTimes, Hannah addressed the question on everyone’s lips: is there any truth to the whispers of a follow-up to 2008’s Tomb of the Dragon Emperor? “
Not officially. I mean, I've heard and seen the rumours, same as everybody else, and that would be fun to do. It would be fun to hook up with everybody again.
” he admitted, before conceding that the logistics of reuniting the original trio for another round of supernatural mischief might be a stretch. Still, the idea clearly holds some appeal.
He went on to reflect on the possibility of the old gang returning, noting, “
[Fraser] said that what they were looking to do was bring the original cast back together again. Certainly, in terms of Brendan and Rachel, bringing them back together, and Rachel was up for it, by all accounts. She was willing to do that, you know, having gone off and created her own path, and been very successful as a producer, as an actor, Oscar-nominated, you know.
”
Hannah’s own journey to the franchise was, by his own admission, not exactly straightforward. “
When I was first offered The Mummy, it was a bit like, 'I'm a serious actor, What do I want to go and do that kind of nonsense for?' But these are good family fun films, and if they've got a good... I mean, if they asked me to do it, I'll do it. Let's not be cute or anything. But we'll see what happens. I honestly have no more idea than you, from what I've read and stuff!
”
Fraser’s Hopes and the Ghost of the Dark Universe
After the collapse of Universal’s ambitious Dark Universe, which was meant to unite a host of classic monsters under one cinematic roof, Fraser has been vocal about his desire to see the old team back in action. The actor, now in his late fifties, has urged any would-be filmmakers to remember the sense of “fun” that made the original films so beloved—a quality he felt was sorely lacking in Tom Cruise’s 2017 reboot.
While the prospect of a new chapter featuring the familiar faces of O’Connell, Carnahan, and Evelyn remains up in the air, the appetite for a return to the franchise’s roots is clearly alive and well among both cast and audience. Whether the stars will align for another adventure, though, is anyone’s guess.
A New Mummy Rises—But Not That One
For those keeping an eye on the horizon, April promises a fresh take on the age-old legend, though not the one some might expect. Lee Cronin’s upcoming horror, simply titled The Mummy, is set to debut with a cast including Laia Costa, Jack Reynor, and May Calamawy. This iteration, however, is entirely separate from the Universal Pictures universe, hailing instead from the minds behind The Conjuring at Blumhouse Productions and Atomic Monster.
The plot follows the unsettling return of a young girl, missing for eight years, whose reappearance brings with it a sinister secret: she’s become the vessel for an ancient evil. As the malevolent force threatens to consume his family, her father faces a grim choice—embrace the monstrous or risk losing everything. Whether this new vision will breathe life into the legend or be swiftly entombed remains to be seen.