Lee Cronin Eyes His Next Monster Reboot — and Maps Out The Mummy's Future

We’ve all seen something called 'The Mummy' at some point, usually with curse-happy ancient corpses, lots of sand, and the expectation that the story will sprawl outwards into sequels or an ever-expanding franchise. Think Brendan Fraser legging it from CGI monsters, or Tom Cruise giving it his best in that Universal reboot (that was definitely not the start of a franchise, by the way). But Lee Cronin’s 'The Mummy' doesn’t go down those familiar routes. It actually does its own thing, and, while there are mysteries and lingering threads, it’s not desperate to start yet another cinematic universe. Fancy that.

Putting the Mythology in its (Sarcophagus) Box

People have been speculating about where Cronin might take things next, given that his version of 'The Mummy' leaves some questions unanswered and teases just enough to get theory-nerds frothing. Cronin himself, speaking during the home release press rounds, genuinely sounds mildly amused by all the talk of sequel-baiting. Here’s how he put it – and you can practically hear the “Oh, for goodness sake…”

People are very sensitive to 'sequel baiting,' and the interesting thing is even if your intent isn’t to sequel bait, sometimes people can still feel like you are. I’ve never made anything with that intent at all. Any short film or any feature film – do you think there’s a bigger universe and a bigger world to explore here? Absolutely, because what you create on screen, I would say the hundred pages that you write and turn into a movie, there’s the other 400 that don’t make it and there’s offshoots and ideas and other characters, things come and go.

In other words, yes, there’s history and potential for more, but the open ending wasn’t code for “Tune in next time!” There’s plenty of half-forgotten backstory and random ideas left on the cutting room floor, but Cronin insists he’s not hatching some grand franchise master plan in secret.

Closing the Door (Literally)

One thing Cronin is unequivocal about: for the family at the heart of the story, their particular nightmare is properly wrapped up. No loose ends for these poor sods – at least, none that interest Cronin enough to bother picking up. The literal closing of a door at the film’s end isn’t just a visual, it’s narratively final for them. Still, he admits there are tantalising scraps left behind, especially when you consider there’s about three millennia of weirdness in this particular backstory.

He muses about the old rituals and those who performed them, picking at the possibilities:

There’s a closure to the chapter in terms of what this family has gone through from when Katie was kidnapped, for sure. And there’s a physical door that’s closed, literally, on the story, right at the end of the film. So in that area, I would never have thought about, 'Well, I need to go specifically back to here.' But what is interesting to me and was always interesting is that there is a 3,000-year-old history here. And we’re experiencing eight years ago and then now in these moments in time, but actually there have been many iterations and many versions of this mummy in the past. And not only that, if this is a ceremony that could be used to contain evil, are these the only people that have ever done it or are there more? That was always on my mind, but that was in terms of creating a world, but I think there’s definitely some fertile territory that could be explored beyond that.

Cronin’s Next Moves (and Monstrous Ambitions)

If you’re wondering what Cronin’s up to next, he’s shifting gears over to 'Box of Bones' (title alone sounds promising, right?) and juggling a few other projects as well. Interestingly, he reckons he could put his own spin on other classic creatures, and even suggested an interest in Irish folklore – particularly the banshee, which barely shows up in film at all. According to Cronin, banshee lore is so threadbare it hardly exists, so he fancies digging in there before lurching back to traditional monsters. He’s leaning more into haunted territory rather than blood-and-guts.

Evil Dead Nods and Hidden Lamps

If you’re keen on spotting Easter eggs, Cronin admits there are a couple of sneaky tributes to 'Evil Dead Rise' baked into 'The Mummy.' (Cronin, by the way, directed 'Evil Dead Rise,' which did so well in test screenings it escaped straight-to-streaming purgatory and landed a proper cinema release.) You’ll have to keep your eyes peeled for the infamous cheese grater, which apparently pops up in lamp form. Don’t expect endless winks, though: Cronin says this new film is trying to be its own beast more than it is a collection of nods and winks to fans.

Where to Watch

'The Mummy' (Cronin’s version, not the one with sandstorms and dodgy CGI) is out digitally now, and you can get your hands on the 4K UHD disc from 14 July.

Cast and Story

• A journalist’s daughter disappears in the desert. Eight years later, she turns up again with zero explanation.
• Her sudden return is less a happy family reunion and more a descent into complete and utter terror.