The Mummy 4: Brendan Fraser & Rachel Weisz Are Finally Back! What You Need to Know

To put it bluntly, it seemed that it had been impossible for this duo to reunite for way too long—then there was the timing issue and that was easy! There was a combustible amount of fandom enthusiasm and critical momentum behind the first three films.

For years, the internet rang out incessantly “Where is The Mummy 4 Brendan Fraser Rachel Weisz?” and the interest was further solidified after the exceptionally terrible reception of a 2017 reboot, which proved to audiences that they weren’t into remakes, but instead wanted an original.

The most substantial changes, however, come from the stars. Following his surprising and inspiring resurgence—which resulted in an Oscar for The Whale— Fraser achieved a level of prominence he simply had not achieved in decades. He proved that he is poised for bigger things, but, more importantly, he was again a bona-fide box office draw.

Weisz had left the franchise before the third film, so returning to a role that she enjoyed not only allows the continuity of Evy Carnahan’s story, but to also give closure to that character (or more accurately, re-open it). That honor is certainly Weisz’s idea and her commitment to that role is an incredibly strong indicator of quality and respect to the characters we honored in the original. This isn’t just a nostalgic cash grab; this is about delivering on years of audience loyalty.

Solved: Is The Mummy 4 Ignoring Tomb of the Dragon Emperor?

This is the question that defines the entire project, and the rumored answer is exactly what fans have been praying for.

Sources are reporting that the new sequel is specifically being designed to retcon the events of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008). In plain terms, it means the filmmakers plan to treat that movie as if it never happened.

Why is this significant? The third installment was disappointing for quite a few reasons:

1. Rachel Weisz’s Replacement: With Weisz replaced by Maria Bello, the chemistry that was established between the lead couple was immediately gone.
2. Creative Changes: They didn’t bring back the creator/director Stephen Sommers, which began the tonal shift.
3. Critical Disappointment: It was widely regarded as a sharp decline in quality, as it relied on CGI spectacle, instead of the original two’s sarcastic humorous tone and adventure elements.

This new project simply wipes the slate clean after The Mummy Returns, and will pick up Rick and Evy O’Connell’s story, exactly where we left them belovedly. This fixes the continuity issue, but most importantly addresses the overwhelmed fan feedback – this is what the studio is giving the readers (the fans) who didn’t love how the original trilogy ended.

The New Direction: What Radio Silence and David Coggeshall Mean for Rick and Evy’s Story

Behind every excellent screenplay is an amazing creative team, and this news about the director is very compelling. Radio Silence, the directing group (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett) who brought smart, exciting energy back to the Scream franchise, will be directing the project.

Their involvement is a good indication that the new Mummy movie will retain the traditional action-adventure feel while also making it feel current, high-quality in the horror genre, and filled with funny, sarcastic, and witty dialogue. It is exciting to hear, especially for fans who may be worried about another mess of a film that is overstuffed with CGI and spectacle. Their established command is the “legacy sequel” – a film that respects the original but makes stances way to grow the story; they do this well.

The script reportedly ex-mined by David Coggeshall-development of action comedies like The Family Plan (2022), means it should have the same blend of humor/anxiety that the series is known for.

Sean Daniel is back as his role, producer, as a long-time producer of the previous Mummy trilogy, which means they keep some continuity with that original series.

But How will the new Mummy movie fit with the Blumhouse one?

If you’re unsure about the two Mummy films, you’re not the only one! Last year, it was actually revealed that Lee Cronin, the director of Evil Dead Rise has been asked to write and direct a new film that is completely separate for Blumhouse.

The simplest explanation for this is not shocking–Hollywood goes where the money is, and Hollywood and everyone, loves to capitalize on successful IP. This Blumhouse project appears to be completely independent and detached from all prior Mummy iterations (and history will note the first is frightfully close to horror). The Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz film is a sequel that is a direct sequel to the films, in canon.

One is going to be a dark, experimental horror entry to the franchise, while the latter is the type of large-scale and expensive adventure film the audience has been clamoring for two decades. It is almost a foregone conclusion that, given the incredible box office you would get with Fraser and Weisz, that news of their return will be the dominant talking point and will be the version that fans crowd to see in droves. This is a franchise that is about legacy, adventure, and (possibly more character developments about) the Rick and Evy O’Connell new adventure details that fans have been waiting for (for years).

Are you getting ready to dust off your adventurer gear? Because it looks like a return to Egypt is in order.