The unyielding reign of Universal's The Mummy franchise has risen from the dead, as Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, the iconic leads from the 1999-2008 trilogy, are in negotiations to reprise their roles in a new sequel. Led by the filmmaking duo of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, better known as Radio Silence, who made a name for themselves with the clever horror movie Ready or Not in 2019 and revitalized the Scream franchise with two movies in 2022 and 2023, this classic is set to be brought back to life. Sean Daniel, who produced the original movies alongside his late partner James Jacks, returns as producer, joined by frequent Radio Silence collaborators William Sherak, James Vanderbilt, and Paul Neinstein under their Project X Entertainment banner. Project X was involved in Radio Silence movies such as Abigail, Scream 5, and Scream 6.
The Mummy, directed and co-written by Stephen Sommers, brought an Indiana Jones-like flair to the classic Universal Monsters line, weaving together action-adventure, romance, and horror in a period setting. Fraser played a treasure hunter who journeys to Egypt in the 1920s with a spunky librarian played by Weisz, only to accidentally awaken a supernaturally powerful high priest. The movie, which grossed over $422.5 million, launched a franchise that was one of Universal's biggest and most reliable titles in the early 2000s and catapulted Fraser into leading man and A-lister status. There was also a prequel - The Scorpion King, featuring an early performance by Dwayne Johnson - and an animated series, not to mention a popular ride at Universal Studios Hollywood. Maria Bello replaced Weisz for the third entry, which also featured Luke Ford as the son of the two main characters. (Freddie Boath played a younger version of the son in the second movie, Mummy Returns.)
While it is unclear who else will return to the franchise, one source describes the project as not a reboot but rather a sequel that will disregard the events of the third movie. David Coggeshall penned the screenplay.
Fraser's career was rejuvenated with his starring role in The Whale, the 2022 drama directed by Darren Aronofsky (who also happens to be Weisz's former fiancé and father of her first son). The role earned him an Oscar for Best Actor. It was around that time that Universal began preliminary talks with Fraser for a new Mummy. The actor will next be seen in Searchlight Pictures' comedic drama Rental Family, which opens on November 21. He is represented by CAA, Linden Entertainment, and Felker Toczek.
Weisz has recently starred in Amazon Prime Video's gender-swapped TV version of Dead Ringers and co-starred in Marvel's Black Widow. She is represented by CAA, Linde, and the UK's Independent Talent Group.
Next up for Radio Silence is Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, which Searchlight will open in April 2026. The team has fans at Universal, which hired the filmmakers for the 2024 vampire horror movie Abigail. Radio Silence is represented by CAA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.
