Two original stars return for Brendan Fraser’s new The Mummy sequel
After nearly twenty years of waiting, The Mummy is shuffling back out of its tomb for a fourth film. Yes, really – they're making another one.
This marks the first new instalment since 2008, when The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor managed to tank both critically (13% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is truly dire for a blockbuster) and, despite a fair box office haul of $405 million worldwide, still ended up paling compared to its predecessors. That’s not exactly a legacy you'd expect anyone to intentionally revisit, but here we are.
Universal Pictures seems to have decided the best way to revive the franchise is to play the nostalgia card hard, dragging back not just familiar faces but, crucially, Brendan Fraser himself. The man’s enjoying a fresh wind in his career and they've clearly thrown open the tomb doors for his return as Rick O'Connell. Honestly, if you’re going to bother with another Mummy film, you’d be mad not to put him front and centre.
The last "Mummy" film, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, hit cinemas in 2008 and earned a brutal 13% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes — the lowest by miles in the series.
Who’s Back This Time?
It’s not just Fraser. Rachel Weisz – who was swapped out for Maria Bello in the much-maligned third entry – is returning as Evelyn O’Connell. So there's that wrong being righted. John Hannah is also back as the ever-embarrassing brother, Jonathan Carnahan, a role he seems born to play and which, frankly, no one else even attempted to pinch in the last one.
Fraser’s made it known more than once he’d love to get the original gang together for another outing, and it appears the studio has finally listened. Just to really hammer home the throwback angle, Kevin J. O’Connor and Oded Fehr have been pulled back in as well. If you’re trying to remember, O’Connor played Beni Gabor in the 1999 film – the slimy comic relief who got messily killed by scarab beetles after trapping himself with too much gold like a greedy cartoon villain. As for Fehr, he was Ardeth Bay, the surprisingly likeable leader of the Medjai, who does his best to stop resurrected evil while looking good on horseback. His character, at least, made it out alive.
Who’s New?
Casting details are still under lock and key for anything beyond the classic roster, but there’s one new name: Numan Acar, from Young Sherlock, has joined up for the sequel. No word yet on who he’s playing, or even which century he’ll be in for that matter. Plot specifics are being kept properly secret, presumably so they can get through a rewrite or three before cameras roll.
- Brendan Fraser returns as Rick O’Connell
- Rachel Weisz returns as Evelyn O’Connell
- John Hannah returns as Jonathan Carnahan
- Kevin J. O'Connor returns as Beni Gabor (yes, despite being literally eaten alive by bugs)
- Oded Fehr returns as Ardeth Bay
- Numan Acar added in an undisclosed role
At this point, little else is public about the direction, story, or even the rest of the cast. But with almost everyone back on board, it feels like they’re quietly erasing the Dragon Emperor misstep and hoping nobody minds a bit of resurrection magic—again.