Despite being released 26 years ago, The Mummy is surprisingly popular with adventure fans who appreciate its fun and exciting story. The movie, which is a playful take on the classic Universal monster, has become a streaming success on Hulu, currently ranking as one of their top three most-watched films. As of today, it’s even ahead of popular titles like Black Panther and The Help, and its sequel, The Mummy Returns, is also gaining traction on the platform.
Stephen Sommers wrote and directed The Mummy, a film starring Brendan Fraser as Rick O’Connell, a treasure hunter similar to Indiana Jones. He leads the fight against the dangerous ancient villain Imhotep. The movie was a big surprise success at the start of the 2000s, earning over $422 million in the same year that George Lucas reintroduced Star Wars with The Phantom Menace. Its popularity led to a whole series of films, which, while not as successful recently, might be revisited soon.
‘The Mummy’ Brought Life Back Into the Adventure Genre in the 1990s – But How?
In the movie The Mummy, O’Connell is an adventurer in Cairo who teams up with the Carnahan siblings to search for a lost artifact from ancient Egypt. However, their search accidentally revives a dangerous and evil priest from the past. Now, they must work together to stop him from causing worldwide destruction.
The film arrived at a time when adventure movies were rare outside of those directed by Steven Spielberg. While films like Hook, Jurassic Park, and Jumanji existed, few managed to be both exciting and lighthearted enough to truly connect with audiences. Director Sommers focused on delivering a thrilling adventure with well-developed characters, a strong villain, and just the right amount of suspense. Despite often being remembered as a fun, silly movie, The Mummy actually balances its iconic adventurous spirit with genuinely scary moments, creating a perfect blend of thrills and a relaxed tone.
The film received mixed reviews, currently holding a 63% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Notably, the respected critic Roger Ebert recognized the film’s intentionally over-the-top and entertaining nature. In his review, he described it as ‘not art, but good trash,’ comparing its fun factor to films like Anaconda, Congo, and The Relic, while placing it above Species. He suggested that if you aren’t familiar with those movies, The Mummy might not be the best place to begin your viewing experience.
‘The Mummy’ Will Hopefully Be Revived Once Again (Hopefully)
The 1999 film The Mummy was a big hit, leading to a whole series of movies. Just two years later, The Mummy Returns brought back most of the original cast and also proved successful, earning $435 million worldwide, though its special effects received a lot of criticism. The introduction of Dwayne Johnson’s character was popular enough to inspire its own set of sequels, which weren’t well-received. In 2008, Brendan Fraser returned as O’Connell in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, a film that is generally considered the end of the line for the franchise, despite still making over $400 million at the box office.
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After the original Mummy series ended, Universal attempted a reboot in 2017 with Tom Cruise, but the film was poorly received and effectively killed plans for a larger ‘Dark Universe’ franchise. Now, New Line Cinema is developing a new Mummy film, set to release in 2026, directed by Lee Cronin. While it shares the same title, this version promises a fresh approach to the classic story.
The future of the Mummy series directed by Stephen Sommers is currently uncertain. Last November, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz would return for a new Mummy film. The movie will be directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, known for Scream and Ready or Not, with a script by David Coggeshall. Although fans are excited, there haven’t been any new details released, and Fraser recently stated he isn’t sharing any information at this time.
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2026-02-07 02:05