The film Brendan Fraser has been wanting to make for the past 20 years is finally making headway. While we are still a long way off from the 2027 release date of The Mummy 4, the silver lining is that the sequel is officially happening after the disastrous 2017 reboot. As the franchise’s central lead and most staunch advocate, it is only fitting that Fraser himself shared the latest update.
Fraser has been vocal about The Mummy 4 since November, when he first teased a legacy sequel was in the works in the spirit of the original trilogy. Co-star Rachel Weisz was confirmed to reprise her role in February, reuniting the pair 25 years after The Mummy Returns. With filmmaking collective Radio Silence (Abigail, Scream VI, Ready or Not) tapped to direct, and David Coggeshall (Orphan: First Kill, The Family Plan) penning the script, the project has been moving quickly since the official announcement. Fraser has now revealed the film begins production this week.
In an interview with French TV channel Canal+, Fraser confirmed that The Mummy 4 starts filming today, with Fraser and Weisz set to reprise franchise power couple Rick and Evelyn O’Connell, who were last seen riding off into the sunset in a dirigible at the end of The Mummy Returns. Plot details for the sequel remain under wraps, but Fraser teased the story will be set in the original locations.
Weisz’s return has posed quite a conundrum for the franchise, since she sat out Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, and Maria Bello took over the role. In March, co-director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin confirmed that film will be ignored in the new timeline, hinting The Mummy 4 could send the O’Connells back for another Egyptian adventure, which tracks with Fraser’s tease that they’re filming in “familiar” locations.
The Mummy trilogy was commercially successful with a $1.3 billion combined global haul. Tomb of the Dragon Emperor earned $406 million against its $145 million budget, but fell short of studio expectations, considering how each of the first two installments grossed almost five times their production budgets. Evelyn’s recast also impacted reception toward the sequel, which offered an entirely different version of the character. Fraser has since described Tomb of the Dragon Emperor as “a good standalone movie,” confirming it is separate from the canon lore.
Fraser revealed in May that they’re trying to bring the band back together for The Mummy 4, and so far the core ensemble is confirmed to return. Alongside Fraser and Weisz, John Hannah is back as Evelyn’s older brother, Jonathan Carnahan. Oded Fehr, who played Medjai chief Ardeth Bay in the first two films, and Kevin J. O’Connor, who played the thief Beni Gabor in the first film, also rejoin the cast. No official actor has been announced to play Rick and Evelyn’s son, Alex, last played by Freddie Boath in The Mummy Returns, and Luke Ford in Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.
Release Date
May 19, 2028
Director
Tyler Gillett, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin
Writers
David Coggeshall
Producers
James Vanderbilt, Paul Neinstein, Sean Daniel, William Sherak