The Mummy is one of the most iconic monster movie franchises of all time, and it was completely reinvented in 2027. The Universal Monsters are famous for being one of the first cinematic universes, with characters like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, and more appearing in solo movies and crossing over from the 1910s to the 1950s. Since then, these monsters have gone on to have a major legacy, inspiring all kinds of later movies, TV shows, and more.
While the golden era of the Universal Monsters is long gone, the company has attempted to recreate this success several times throughout the years. Most famously, Universal’s attempt at a modern Dark Universe was a massive failure, with Tom Cruise’s 2017 film The Mummy being the only entry in it. Currently, director-focused Universal Monster reboots are being released, such as Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, The Invisible Man, Wolf Man, and more. However, one Universal Monsters revival from nearly three decades ago did better than any other attempt.
Universal Reinvented The Mummy Franchise 27 Years Ago Today
1999’s The Mummy is one of the most memorable movies of the 1990s, with it being the perfect reinvention of the classic Universal Monsters franchise. Directed by Stephen Sommers, the film moves away from the horror side of the franchise and instead focuses on the action and adventure side of things. This The Mummy series is far more comparable to franchises like Indiana Jones than other horror series, and while it strays away from the original vision of The Mummy, that’s what makes it so special.
The first The Mummy follows Brendan Fraser as treasure hunter Rick O’Connell and Rachel Weisz as librarian Evelyn Carnahan as they deal with the curse of an ancient high priest. The project started with Universal’s desire to update The Mummy franchise in the 1980s, a hope that didn’t get fully kicked off until 1997. This is when Sommers pitched a version of The Mummy inspired by Indiana Jones and Jason and the Argonauts, which is what ended up getting made.
Upon its release on May 7, 1999, The Mummy was a huge success. On a budget of $80 million, the film made $422.5 million, and its $43 million opening weekend made it the ninth-biggest opening of all time. The film received mostly positive reviews, and as of the writing of this article, it has 64% on Rotten Tomatoes. Unlike previous adaptations, 1999’s The Mummy was a fun adventure film, kicking off one of the biggest series of the early 2000s.
A sequel titled The Mummy Returns was released in 2001, with it following Rick and Evelyn as they deal with the return of Imhotep after he is accidentally brought back by their son, Alex. Then, a third film titled The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor was released in 2008, following the gang as they face off against the Dragon Emperor Qin Shi Huang.
On top of the sequels, 1999’s The Mummy also spawned a spinoff series. 2002’s The Scorpion King brought back Dwayne Johnson’s titular character for his own adventure, building off the story of The Mummy Returns. The film got several sequels, those being 2008’s The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior, 2012’s The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption, 2015’s The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power, and 2018’s The Scorpion King: Book of Souls.
The Mummy Is Finally Returning With Another Sequel In 2027
After years of waiting, Stephen Sommers’ The Mummy franchise is finally returning nearly two decades after the third film. The Mummy 4 is officially in development, with it first being reported in November 2025. The film will be directed by Ready or Not‘s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and will feature the returns of Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, and John Hannah as Jonathan Carnahan.
Very few details are known about the story of The Mummy 4, but it is nice to see that Weisz is returning after her absence from the third film. The sequel was originally slated for a 2028 release, but it was recently moved up to October 15, 2027 (via Variety). So, even though things are still under wraps, fans should be excited that The Mummy franchise will be untombed a lot sooner than was originally planned.
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