The Mummy (franchise)
The Mummy is a horror-adventure media franchise based on films by Universal Pictures about a mummified ancient Egyptian priest who is accidentally resurrected, bringing with him a powerful curse, and the ensuing efforts of heroic archaeologists to stop him.The franchise was created by Nina Wilcox Putnam and Richard Schayer.
Original series (1932–1955)
The original series of films consisted of six installments, which starred iconic horror actors such as Boris Karloff (only in the original one, as Imhotep); Tom Tyler and Lon Chaney Jr. as Kharis; and lastly Eddie Parker, who played Klaris, a cousin of Kharis. The series of films is part of the larger Universal Classic Monsters series.
| Year | Film | The Mummy actor |
|---|---|---|
| 1932 | The Mummy | Boris Karloff |
| 1940 | The Mummy's Hand | Tom Tyler |
| 1942 | The Mummy's Tomb | |
| 1944 | The Mummy's Ghost | |
| The Mummy's Curse | ||
| 1955 | Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy | Eddie Parker |
The Mummy (1932)
The Mummy's Hand (1940)
The Mummy's Tomb (1942)
The Mummy's Ghost (1944)
The Mummy's Curse (1944)
Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955)
Hammer series (1959–1967)
The Mummy (1959)
The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1964)
The Mummy's Shroud (1966)
Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1967)
Stephen Sommers series (1999–2008)
| The Mummy | |
|---|---|
 Trilogy box set cover | |
| Directed by |
|
| Produced by | Sean Daniel James Jacks |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Starring | |
| Music by | Jerry Goldsmith (1) Alan Silvestri (2) Randy Edelman John Debney (additional music, uncredited) (3) |
| Edited by | Bob Ducsay Ray Bushey III Kelly Matsumoto Joel Negron |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date | 1999–2008 |
Running time | 368 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English Arabic |
| Budget | $323 million |
| Box office | $1.415 billion |
Originally a proposed remake of The Mummy would have been directed by horror filmmaker/writer Clive Barker. Barker's vision for the film was violent, with the story revolving around the head of a contemporary art museum who turns out to be a cultist trying to reanimate mummies.[1][2] Barker's take was "dark, sexual and filled with mysticism",[3] and that, "it would have been a great low-budget movie".[1]
In 1999, Stephen Sommers wrote and directed a remake of The Mummy, loosely based on the original film of 1932. This film switches genres from the emphasis on horror to adventure, concentrating more on action sequences, special effects, comedy, and a higher element of Egyptian lore. The film became a box office success spawning two sequels, several video games, a spin-off series, and an animated television series. The first two films received mixed to positive reviews, while the third one received mostly negative reviews.
Critical and public response
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | CinemaScore |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Mummy | 60% (90 reviews)[4] | 48 (34 reviews)[5] | B[6] |
| The Mummy Returns | 47% (140 reviews)[7] | 48 (31 reviews)[8] | A-[6] |
| The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor | 13% (175 reviews)[9] | 31 (33 reviews)[10] | B-[6] |
The Mummy (1999)
It is the year 1923 and Richard “Rick” O'Connell, an American explorer, has discovered Hamunaptra, the city of the dead. Three years later, he meets with a beautiful librarian, Evelyn "Evy" Carnahan and her brother, Jonathan. When Evy accidentally revives the mummified corpse of an Egyptian priest, Imhotep, the pair must find a way to kill him before he rises back into power and destroys the world.
The Mummy Returns (2001)
In 1933, Rick O'Connell and Evelyn Carnahan are married with an 8-year-old son, Alex. When Alex triggers a curse and Imhotep is resurrected, Rick and Evy must once again try to save the world and defeat the mummy.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)
Set in 1946, the film continues the adventures of Rick O'Connell, his wife Evy, and his son Alex against a different mummy, the Dragon Emperor (Jet Li) of China.
After Tomb of the Dragon Emperor was released, actress Maria Bello stated that another Mummy film will "absolutely" be made, and that she had already signed on.[11] Actor Luke Ford was signed on for three films as well.[12] But in 2012, Universal Pictures announced that they had cancelled the film and were focusing on a reboot.
The Scorpion King spin-off series (2002–2018)
This spin-off series follows the adventures of Mathayus, who would later be known as the Scorpion King and, eventually, become a foe in The Mummy Returns. The films are as follows:
The Scorpion King (2002)
A 2002 film.
The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior (2008)
A 2008 prequel (direct-to-video) film.
The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption (2012)
A 2012 sequel (direct-to-video) film.
The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power (2015)
A 2015 sequel (direct-to-video) film.
The Scorpion King: Book of Souls (2018)
A 2018 sequel (direct-to-video) film.
Dark Universe
The Mummy (2017)
In April 2012, Universal Studios announced they were developing a reboot of the series with writer Jon Spaihts, and with Sean Daniel returning as producer.[13] In May 2012, Universal also signed a two-year deal to produce the film with K/O Paper Products.[14] In September 2012, Universal announced it hired Len Wiseman to direct the film.[15] In December 2012, it was reported the film would use different mythology and would be set in the present.[16] In February 2013, Universal asked The Hunger Games' writer Billy Ray to write a competing draft against Spaihts written script.[17] July of 2013, Wiseman left the film project due to schedule conflicts.[18] In September 2013, news reported that Mama's director Andrés Muschietti was in talks to direct the film.[19]
In October 2013, Orci hinted that both The Mummy and Van Helsing reboots would have a shared universe.[20] November of 2013, Universal set the film to release on April 22, 2016.[21] On May 6, 2014, director Muschetti left the film due to creative differences.[22] On July 16, 2014, Universal announced that they had tapped Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan to develop all classic movie monsters which include Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolf Man, Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Invisible Man, Bride of Frankenstein, and The Mummy.[23] The first film they developed together was The Mummy, for which they had begun the meetings.[23] So on July 30, Kurtzman was set to direct the film.[24] Next day, the film's release date was pushed back to March 27, 2017, when Universal announced the April 22 for its new film The Huntsman. The film's plot is set in Iraq and follows a Navy SEAL and his team that battle mummies led by Ashurbanipal.[25]
On October 14, 2015, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Kurtzman and Spaihts has two scripts with a male and a female mummy villain.[26] On November 24, 2015, Variety reports that Tom Cruise is in talks to star in the film. Variety also reports that Cruise was not expected to produce, but he will play a major part in development.[27] On December 8, 2015, The Hollywood Reporter has reported that Sofia Boutella is in talks for the female Mummy role in the reboot.[28] It was announced that Cruise and Boutella will star in the reboot with a June 9, 2017, release date.[29] In March 2016, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter has reported that Annabelle Wallis and Jake Johnson are in talks for a role of an archaeologist and a member of the military respectively.[30][31] The film began production in April 2016 located in Oxford, England.
Feature films
| Number | Title | Release date | Director | Continuity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Mummy | December 22, 1932 | Karl Freund | Universal Classic Monsters |
| 2 | The Mummy's Hand | September 20, 1940 | Christy Cabanne | |
| 3 | The Mummy's Tomb | October 23, 1942 | Harold Young | |
| 4 | The Mummy's Ghost | July 7, 1944 | Reginald Le Borg | |
| 5 | The Mummy's Curse | December 22, 1944 | Leslie Goodwins | |
| 6 | Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy | June 23, 1955 | Charles Lamont | |
| 7 | The Mummy | May 7, 1999 | Stephen Sommers | Stephen Sommers series |
| 8 | The Mummy Returns | May 4, 2001 | ||
| 9 | The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor | August 1, 2008 | Rob Cohen | |
| 10 | The Mummy | June 9, 2017 | Alex Kurtzman | Dark Universe |
Cast and crew
Cast
List indicator(s)
- A dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film.
- A P indicates the character was shown in a photograph.
- A U indicates an uncredited role.
- A V indicates a voice-only role.
- A C indicates a cameo appearance.
- A L indicates an appearance wherein an actor's facial features were digitally imprinted upon another actor's face.
- A Y indicates an appearance as a younger version of a pre-existing character.
- An A indicates an appearance through archival footage, audio or stills.
| Character | Universal Classic Monsters | Stephen Sommers series | Dark Universe | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Mummy | The Mummy's Hand | The Mummy's Tomb | The Mummy's Ghost | The Mummy's Curse | The Mummy | The Mummy Returns | The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor |
The Mummy Animated Television Series |
The Mummy | |
| 1932 | 1940 | 1942 | 1944 | 1999 | 2001 | 2008 | 2001-2003 | 2017 | ||
| Imhotep The Mummy |
Boris Karloff | Boris KarloffA | |
Arnold Vosloo | Jim Cummings | |||||
| Ardeth Bay | Oded Fehr | Nicholas Guest | ||||||||
| Ankh-es-en-Amon / Anck-su-namun Helen Grosvenor / Meela Nais |
Zita Johann | |
Patricia Velásquez | Lenore Zann | ||||||
| Frank Whemple | David Manners | |||||||||
| Sir Joseph Whemple | Arthur Byron | |||||||||
| Ralph Norton | Bramwell Fletcher | |||||||||
| Dr. Muller | Edward Van Sloan | |||||||||
| Kharis The Mummy |
|
Tom Tyler | Lon Chaney Jr. | |||||||
| Steve Banning | Dick Foran | |||||||||
| Babe Hanson (née Jenson) | Wallace Ford | |||||||||
| Professor Andoheb / The High Priest | George Zucco | |||||||||
| Dr. Charles Petrie | Charles Trowbridge | |||||||||
| Marta Solvani | Peggy Moran | |||||||||
| The Great Solvani | Cecil Kellaway | |||||||||
| Mehemet Bey | Turhan Bey | |||||||||
| Dr. John Banning | John Hubbard | |||||||||
| Isobel Banning (née Evans) | Elyse Knox | |||||||||
| Professor Norman | Frank Reicher | |||||||||
| Yousef Bey | John Carradine | |||||||||
| Tom Hervey | Robert Lowery | |||||||||
| Princess Ananka Amina Mansori |
|
Ramsay Ames | Virginia Christine | |||||||
| Inspector Walgreen | Barton MacLane | |||||||||
| Sheriff Elwood | Harry Shannon | |||||||||
| Dr. James Halsey Dr. Jenny Halsey |
Dennis Moore | Annabelle Wallis | ||||||||
| Betty Walsh | Kay Harding | |||||||||
| Pat Walsh | Addison Richards | |||||||||
| Dr. Ilzor Zandaab | Peter Coe | |||||||||
| Ragheb | Martin Kosleck | |||||||||
| Cajun Joe | Kurt Katch | |||||||||
| Rick O'Connell | Brendan Fraser | John Schneider | ||||||||
| Evelyn O'Connell (née Carnahan) Princess Nefertiri |
|
Rachel Weisz | Maria Bello | Grey DeLisle | ||||||
| Jonathan Carnahan | John Hannah | Tom Kenny | ||||||||
| Pharaoh Seti I | Aharon Ipalé | |||||||||
| Beni Gabor | Kevin J. O'Connor | |||||||||
| Dr. Allen Chamberlain | Jonathan Hyde | |||||||||
| Dr. Terrance Bey | Erick Avari | |||||||||
| Isaac Henderson | Stephen Dunham | |||||||||
| David Daniels | Corey Johnson | |||||||||
| Bernard Burns | Tuc Watkins | |||||||||
| Warden Gad Hassan | Omid Djalili | |||||||||
| Captain Winston Havlock | Bernard Fox | |||||||||
| Alexander "Alex" Rupert O'Connell | Freddie Boath | Luke Ford | Chris Marquette | |||||||
| Mathayus The Scorpion King |
Dwayne Johnson | |||||||||
| Baltus Hafez | Alun Armstrong | |||||||||
| Lock-Nah | Adewale Akinnuoye- Agbaje |
|||||||||
| Izzy Buttons | Shaun Parkes | |||||||||
| Red Willits | Bruce Byron | |||||||||
| Jacques Clemons | Joe Dixon | |||||||||
| Jacob Spivey | Tom Fisher | |||||||||
| Han The Dragon Emperor / The Mummy |
Jet Li | |||||||||
| General Yang | Anthony Wong | |||||||||
| Lin | Isabella Leong | |||||||||
| Mad Dog Maguire | Liam Cunningham | |||||||||
| Professor Roger Wilson | David Calder | |||||||||
| General Ming Guo | Russell Wong | |||||||||
| Zi-Yuan | Michelle Yeoh | |||||||||
| Sgt. Nick Morton Set / The Mummy |
Tom Cruise | |||||||||
| Princess Ahmanet The Mummy |
Sofia Boutella | |||||||||
| Cpl. Chris Vail | Jake Johnson | |||||||||
| Dr. Henry Jekyll Mr. Eddie Hyde |
Russell Crowe | |||||||||
| Col. Gideon Greenway | Courtney B. Vance | |||||||||
Crew
| Crew/detail | Film | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Classic Monsters | Stephen Sommers series | Dark Universe | ||||||||
| The Mummy (1932) |
The Mummy's Hand (1940) |
The Mummy's Tomb (1942) |
The Mummy's Ghost (1944) |
The Mummy's Curse (1944) |
The Mummy (1999) |
The Mummy Returns (2001) |
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008) |
The Mummy (2017) | ||
| Director(s) | Karl Freund | Christy Cabanne | Harold Young | Reginald Le Borg | Leslie Goodwins | Stephen Sommers | Rob Cohen | Alex Kurtzman | ||
| Producer(s) | Carl Laemmle, Jr. | Ben Pivar | Oliver Drake Ben Pivar |
Sean Daniel James Jacks |
Sean Daniel James Jacks Bob Ducsay Stephen Sommers |
Sean Daniel Alex Kurtzman Roberto Orci Chris Morgan | ||||
| Writer(s) | Screenplay: John L. Balderston Story: Nina Wilcox Putnam & Richard Schayer |
Griffen Jay Maxwell Shane |
Story: Neil P. Varnick |
Griffin Jay Henry Sucher |
Leon Abrams Dwight V. Babcock |
Screenplay: Stephen Sommers Story: Stephen Sommers, Lloyd Fonvielle & Kevin Jarre |
Stephen Sommers | Alfred Gough Miles Millar |
Jon Spaihts | |
| Composer(s) | James Dietrich | Frank Skinner (uncredited) |
William Lava Paul Sawtell |
Jerry Goldsmith | Alan Silvestri | Randy Edelman | Brian Tyler | |||
| Editor(s) | Milton Carruth | Philip Cahn | Milton Carruth | Saul A. Goodkind | Fred R. Feltshans Jr. | Bob Ducsay | Bob Ducsay Kelly Matsumoto |
Joel Negron Kelly Matsumoto |
Paul Hirsch | |
| Cinematographer | Charles Stumar | Elwood Bredell | George Robinson | William A. Sickner | Virgil Miller | Adrian Biddle | Simon Duggan | Ben Seresin | ||
| Production companies | Alphaville Films | Relativity Media The Sommers Company Alphaville Films |
K/O Paper Products Sean Daniel Company | |||||||
| Distributor(s) | Universal Pictures | |||||||||
| Runtime | 73 minutes | 67 minutes | 61 minutes | 62 minutes | 125 minutes | 130 minutes | 111 minutes | 110 minutes | ||
| Release date | December 22, 1932 | September 20, 1940 | October 23, 1942 | July 7, 1944 | December 22, 1944 | May 7, 1999 | May 4, 2001 | August 1, 2008 | June 9, 2017 | |
Other media
Video games
Two video game adaptations of The Mummy (1999) were developed by Rebellion Developments and published by Konami in 2000: an action-adventure game for the PlayStation and PC[32] as well as a Game Boy Color puzzle game.[33] Dreamcast version was announced but later cancelled in the late 2000. The Mummy Returns released in late 2001 for the PlayStation 2 and developed by Blitz Games, the Game Boy Color version was developed by GameBrains, both versions were published by Universal Interactive. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor was released in 2008, developed by Eurocom for the PlayStation 2 and the Wii, the Nintendo DS released was developed by A2M, all versions were published by Sierra Entertainment. In March 2012, a massive multiplayer online game known as The Mummy Online was released.
Comic books
In May 2001, Chaos! Comics released the first of a three-issue series inspired by the film, titled The Mummy: Valley of the Gods.[34] The plot was supposed to take place between the first film and The Mummy Returns. Rick and Evelyn are on their honeymoon in Egypt and end up embarking on yet another adventure where they must unravel the mysteries of the Orb of Destiny and discover the location of the Valley of the Gods hidden beneath the sands. However, the second and third issues were never published.[35] This was most likely due to Chaos later filing bankruptcy in 2002 and selling the rights to all their titles at that time. Years later in 2008, another Mummy comic series was released by IDW Publishing, spanning four issues. This series was titled The Mummy: The Rise and Fall of Xango's Ax. Unlike the preceding comic series, all of the planned issues were published.[36]
Television
From 2001 until 2003, an animated series simply titled The Mummy was made by Universal Animation Studios where it was based on the Stephen Sommers series of films. The series was later renamed in the second season as The Mummy: Secrets of the Medjai.
Theme park rides
The film also inspired a roller coaster ride named Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride in Universal Studios Theme Parks, Florida.[37] Similar rides can also be found in Hollywood and Singapore.[38]
References
- Slotek, Jim (May 2, 1999). "Unwrapping The Mummy". Toronto Sun.
- The Mummy That Wasn't", Cinescape (May 3, 1999).
- Hobson, Louis B (May 1, 1999). "Universal rolls out new, improved Mummy", Calgary Sun.
- "The Mummy (1999)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
- "The Mummy (1999) Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on November 20, 2010.
- "Cinemascore". CinemaScore. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- "The Mummy Returns (2001)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor Returns Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
- "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
- Adler, Shawn (March 10, 2008). "'Mummy 3' Star Maria Bello Talks About Taking Over For Rachel Weisz, Fighting An Invisible Baddie". MTV. Retrieved April 9, 2008.
- Miska, Brad (July 16, 2008). "Luke Ford Signed For Three 'Mummy' Films". Bloody Disgusting. The Collective. Retrieved July 20, 2008.
- Gallagher, Brian (April 4, 2012). "'The Mummy' Gets Reboot from 'Prometheus' Writer Jon Spaihts". MovieWeb. Watchr Media. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
- "Universal Signs Kurtzman And Orci; Pair Takes On 'The Mummy' And 'Van Helsing'". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. May 1, 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- Fleming Jr, Mike (September 24, 2012). "Len Wiseman Wrapping Up Deal To Helm Universal Reboot Of 'The Mummy'". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
- Orange, B. Alan (December 13, 2012). "The Mummy Remake to Be an Epic Horror Movie Set in Present Day America". MovieWeb. Watchr Media. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
- Brodesser-Akner, Claude (February 14, 2013). "Starving for Mummy Reboot, Universal Hires Hunger Games Screenwriter to Pen Competing Script". Vulture. New York Media, LLC. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
- Sneider, Jeff (31 July 2013). "Director Len Wiseman Exits 'The Mummy' Reboot at Universal". TheWrap. The Wrap News Inc. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- Kit, Borys (September 13, 2013). "'Mama' Director in Talks to Helm 'Mummy' Reboot for Universal". The Hollywood Reporter. Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
- Tilly, Chris (18 October 2013). "Bob Orci Discusses Van Helsing Reboot". ign.com. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- "Universal Dates 'The Mummy' Reboot For April 2016, Pushes 'Warcraft' Out Of 'Star Wars' Slot". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. November 27, 2013. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
- Sneider, Jeff (6 May 2014). "'Mummy' Reboot Loses 'Mama' Director Andy Muschetti". TheWrap. The Wrap News Inc. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
- Fleming Jr, Mike (July 16, 2014). "Universal Taps Alex Kurtzman, Chris Morgan To Relaunch Classic Movie Monster Franchises". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
- Kit, Borys (July 30, 2014). "Alex Kurtzman to Direct 'The Mummy' Reboot". The Hollywood Reporter. Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
- Williams, Celeb (October 22, 2014). "EXCLUSIVE: First Plot Details on Alex Kurtzman's 'The Mummy' Reboot". Superhero Movies News. Archived from the original on October 26, 2014. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
- Ford, Rebecca (October 14, 2015). "New Mummy in Universal's Monster Might Be Female". The Hollywood Reporter. Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group.
- Kroll, Justin (November 24, 2015). "Tom Cruise in Talks to Star in 'The Mummy' Reboot (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
- Kit, Borys; Ford, Rebecca (December 8, 2015). "'Kingsman' Actress Sofia Boutella in Talks to Star in 'The Mummy' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group.
- Kroll, Justin (January 21, 2016). "Tom Cruise's 'The Mummy' Gets New Release Date". Variety.
- Kroll, Justin (March 7, 2016). "Tom Cruise's 'Mummy' Reboot Casts Annabelle Wallis". Variety.
- Kit, Borys (March 8, 2016). "'New Girl' Star Jake Johnson Joins Tom Cruise in 'The Mummy' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group.
- "The Mummy (PSX)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved February 21, 2008.
- "The Mummy (GBC)". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 21, 2008.
- "The Mummy Valley of the Gods (Issue List)". Comic Collector Live Database. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
- "The Mummy Valley of the Gods (Issue #2)". Comic Collector Live Database. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
- "The Mummy: the Rise and Fall of Xango's Ax (Issue List)". Comic Collector Live Database. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
- "Universal Studios Hollywood - Revenge of the Mummy - the Ride". Archived from the original on October 18, 2008.
- "Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride at Universal Orlando Resort".
| Universal series | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hammer series | |||
| The Mummy trilogy |
| ||
| Characters | |||
| Video games | |||
| Other | |||
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