The Mummy Director Lee Cronin Reveals the Fast & Furious Connection You Missed
The Mummy director Lee Cronin is steering his horror reimagining into Fast & Furious territory, teasing a high-octane monster movie built for franchise speed.
So, Universal is rolling out another The Mummy movie, but before you roll your eyes and expect Tom Cruise sprinting around or Brendan Fraser punching CGI, there are some wrinkles here worth paying attention to. This one comes from Lee Cronin—the guy behind Evil Dead Rise—and he’s bringing a totally different vibe.
If you’ve caught the trailers, you probably noticed: this is less 'let’s-be-Indy-but-with-bandages' and more 'actual horror, with actual scares.' Cronin apparently wants to strip things back, give it some grit, and actually make your popcorn go flying. Basically, he’s saying goodbye to the campy, blockbuster action feel and steering hard into goosebumps territory.
There's a Weird Fast & Furious Connection (Yes, Seriously)
Now here’s where it gets a little unexpected. In a chat with Entertainment Weekly, Cronin admitted that, in a strange way, the Fast & Furious movies inspired his take on The Mummy. Not the car crashes or impossible stunts, but, wait for it… the 'family' theme.
Quote time:
'To me, The Mummy was always about family.'
Cronin says chasing that theme—like Vin Diesel and his ride-or-die crew—was a core part of how he built every bit of tension and terror in the movie. Which, if you think about it, is both hilarious and kind of intriguing. Imagine the classic Universal monster universe colliding with Family BBQ: The Franchise. But hey, if it gives the film some added depth and actual emotional stakes, why not?
Who’s Actually in This Thing?
- Director/Writer: Lee Cronin – best known for Evil Dead Rise, so he knows his way around possessed bodies and nightmare fuel.
As for the rest of the cast, we’re still waiting on the fine print. Universal’s keeping those details under wraps for now, so expect a proper announcement (and probably a breakdown from yours truly) once that’s official.
The bottom line: if you’re into classic monsters but sick of them getting action-hero makeovers, Cronin’s taking The Mummy back to its roots—the scary, shadowy ones. But with just enough modern weirdness (and accidental Dominic Toretto inspiration) to make it way more interesting than the reboot anyone was expecting.
More details (including cast and release) as soon as we get them—so stay tuned.