After years of anticipation and waiting, it was confirmed last November that a sequel to The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor was being developed, with Brendan Fraser set to reprise his role as Rick O’Connell.
With Rachel Weisz also returning as Evelyn Carnahan, the events of the 2008 film – where Maria Bello played the character – have been retconned, with the upcoming instalment instead being a direct follow-up to 2001’s The Mummy Returns.
With a theatrical release coming in just over a year’s time, the excitement is building, and we now have a first-look photo of Weisz as she plays the iconic figure for the first time in 25 years.
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Taken during filming, the image shows Weisz in character as she wears a lavish outfit, including a rather extravagant hat. It’s unclear when the upcoming film is set, though it seems likely that it won’t be set in the 1930s like the previous instalment.
The currently-untitled blockbuster is being directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who are known for Ready or Not and Scream VI. The screenplay is being penned by David Coggeshall, while Sean Daniel is a producer once again.
In addition to Fraser and Weisz, other actors who are confirmed to be reprising their roles are Arnold Vosloo, Oded Fehr, Kevin J O’Connor and John Hannah, while Michael Johnston and Numan Acar are also set to join the cast in yet undisclosed roles.
Hannah, who plays Weisz’s on-screen brother Jonathan, had previously expressed excitement about the upcoming film in an exclusive interview with Digital Spy, and teased that fans would be happy with what they see.
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Related: Brendan Fraser shares very exciting filming update for The Mummy 4
“I read the script, and the script is terrific,” he said. “Brendan is an incredibly brilliant, creative leading actor with an Oscar, Rachel the same. We’re all still friends, I talk to Oded, I talk to Arnold regularly, Patricia [Velásquez] as well.”
“My only reservations were about, is it a kind of cynical rehash just to get the audience back in the cinema. But in fact, the script is so good and the directors have got such energy. They’ll bring something new and fresh to it,” he added.
The Mummy 4 is scheduled to be released in cinemas on 15 October 2027.
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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.