The Mummy 4 Is Officially Rewriting The $1.3 Billion Franchise

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News of a fourth Mummy movie is always welcome, but it’s even more exciting to learn that it will fix the biggest mistake made in previous films. With Brendan Fraser finally receiving an Oscar in 2023 for his performance in The Whale, hopes for The Mummy 4 were already rising.

Stephen Sommers’ 1999 film, The Mummy, was a popular action movie that blended adventure, horror, fantasy, romance, and humor. It starred Brendan Fraser as the daring treasure hunter Rick O’Connell and Rachel Weisz as the intelligent but naive historian Evy Carnahan. The first sequel, The Mummy Returns released in 2001, was also a huge hit with audiences.

Okay, so The Mummy Returns definitely didn’t live up to the hype of the first film – critics were much harsher. Then, by the time they made the third movie, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, they’d brought in Rob Cohen, who you might know from XXX, to take over directing duties from Stephen Sommers. It did okay at the box office, but honestly, it was the most they’d ever spent on a Mummy movie, and it actually made less money than the previous installments. A bit of a mixed bag, really.

Rachel Weisz Will Return With Brendan Fraser In The Mummy 4

Things got even worse when The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor replaced Rachel Weisz with Maria Bello as Evy. Weisz actually made a good call by not returning for The Mummy 3, because the sequel was poorly received by both critics and fans, earning a dismal 13% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Although there was talk of continuing the Mummy films, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor essentially ended the franchise. Then, in 2017, a new attempt at the series was released to poor reviews. This reboot, The Mummy, starred Tom Cruise and aimed to launch a shared cinematic universe called the Dark Universe, but it failed to deliver either genuine scares or thrilling action.

When the 2017 attempt to restart The Mummy franchise failed both with critics and audiences, plans for a larger ‘Dark Universe’ were scrapped. It was unclear what would happen with the fourth film in the series. However, a new reboot directed by Lee Cronin – simply titled Lee Cronin’s The Mummy – is now scheduled to come out in April 2026, after a period where the original Sommers films seemed to be on hold.

I thought that franchise was done for good, but then in February 2026, I heard some amazing news! The directors of Scream VI, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, are taking the helm for a new sequel. And get this – Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz are both coming back to star! It’s scheduled to hit theaters on May 19, 2028, and I’m already counting down the days.

The Mummy 4’s Rachel Weisz Comeback Retcons The Third Movie

The news about The Mummy 4 is already exciting, but the casting choices make it even better. Rachel Weisz returning suggests the new movie will cleverly rewrite the story of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, effectively returning the series to its original style and feel.

As a big fan of The Mummy movies, I’m wondering about Alex, Evy and Rick’s son. Freddie Boath did a great job playing him in The Mummy Returns, but it’s unclear if Luke Ford will come back for more. Honestly, I think the studio might be leaning towards recasting the role. It would give them a fresh start and let them build a new story without being tied to what happened before.

Will The Mummy 4 Address Rachel Weisz’s Recast?

Now that Rachel Weisz is returning to her role, fans are curious if the next Mummy movie will explain the change in actresses. It would be tricky to address this without the film becoming overly focused on itself, which could be a problem for a series that already blends humor and scares.

I’m really excited about Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett directing the next Mummy movie! They’ve shown with films like Ready or Not and the recent Scream movies that they’re great at balancing scary moments with really clever humor. Because of that, I’m hoping they can find a fun way to explain what happened with The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor and bring it back into the story, even if it’s just a subtle nod.

The Mummy 4 Can Redeem The Iconic Horror Franchise

Following the unsuccessful Tom Cruise reboot of The Mummy and the poor reception of Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (with only a 13% rating on Rotten Tomatoes), the future of the franchise looked bleak. While Brendan Fraser experienced a remarkable career comeback and Rachel Weisz consistently appeared in well-regarded and varied films, the chances of a fourth movie continued to decrease over time.

Successful director Sommers appeared to retire in 2013 after the poorly received film Odd Thomas, and hasn’t directed a movie since. When the recent reboot failed to attract audiences, it became clear that even Tom Cruise couldn’t revive the franchise, effectively dashing the hopes of stars Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz.

Despite the long wait, the announcement of The Mummy 4 offers a promising sign for the series’ future. The 20-year gap since The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor could actually be beneficial, allowing the new film to avoid any plot holes or inconsistencies from previous installments.

It’s been a long time since the last Mummy movie, so Rachel Weisz returning to the series doesn’t feel as unexpected as it would have if The Mummy 4 had come out soon after The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. This timing actually sets the stage nicely for the franchise to make a successful comeback with the planned Mummy 4 in 2028.

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2026-02-12 18:59