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Director of The Original Mummy Franchise Addresses a Fourth Entry

The director of the 1999 film The Mummy shares his thoughts on the chances of getting a fourth entry and reveals if he'd return.

Published Sat, 18 May 2024 20:32:07 -0500

by Aedan Juvet

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Article Summary

1999's The Mummy director doubts a fourth film, lacks contact with Universal.
Stephen Sommers is open to reuniting the original cast for a special project.
Mummy 4 discussions fell silent; a reboot by Tom Cruise was prioritized.
Cruise's The Mummy reboot saw success, but future franchise plans were canned.

In 1999, the genre-blending action/adventure horror comedy known as The Mummy became an instant hit with moviegoers, garnering more than $400 million and enough popularity from audiences to validate the birth of a Mummy franchise that would spawn three flicks before eventually getting the reboot treatment. Now, the director behind the original film is sharing his thoughts on the chances of seeing another story that's associated with his iconic 1999 project.

Director of The Original Mummy Franchise Addresses a Fourth Entry — The Mummy | Universal Pictures

Director of The Mummy Doesn't Anticipate Another Film

When speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about the likelihood of seeing another entry to The Mummy franchise, director Stephen Sommers doubted that a fourth installment is even being discussed. The franchise filmmaker admits to the publication, "Not that I know [regarding news on The Mummy 4]. All the people at Universal are new after I left. I don't really know them, and they haven't got a hold of me, so I don't know what's in their heads." However, the filmmaker does make it known that he's not opposed to reuniting the team for another adventure, adding, "At the same time, it would have to be something really special. Of course, I would work with all of those actors again."

During the release of the third film (The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor), several conversations were already happening that suggested another film was still happening. After a few years of radio silence, the proposed fourth film ended up being scrapped, with Universal opting to pursue the Tom Cruise reboot first announced in 2012. And by the time the reboot hit theaters in 2017, it still managed to pull in comparable franchise numbers by raking in just over $400 million during its box office run — before Universal eventually opted to cancel any plans to turn the film into another Mummy franchise back in 2019.

So where does the franchise go from here? Do you think Universal Pictures should consider bringing back the original team for another round of The Mummy? Let us know your thoughts below!

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