Tom Cruise has always taken the adage "go big or go home" to heart. Over the course of his iconic career, he has thrived on spectacle and committed every fiber of his being to delivering the biggest and most death-defying stunts imaginable. Now it appears that the Mission: Impossible star even brings that same level of enthusiasm to publicity stunts as well. The real life action hero recently unveiled an enormous sarcophagus in the middle of Hollywood to promote the upcoming release of The Mummy, and CinemaBlend was there to watch the spectacle unfold. Check out the video below to see the behemoth piece of architecture for yourself.
Over the weekend I had the pleasure of watching Tom Cruise unveil that massive, 75-foot sarcophagus ahead of The Mummy's theatrical debut. The event from that video took place underneath the baking sun in the heart of Hollywood, California, but it was all worth it to watch Tom Cruise take the stage for the occasion. This sarcophagus is one of the largest structures ever erected in the Hollywood and Highland shopping center, and it promises an extraordinary spectacle when the horror/action movie finally debuts on June 9.
After the enormous sarcophagus was unveiled, Tom Cruise and the rest of The Mummy's central cast (along with director Alex Kurtzman) spoke at length about their passion for the film and stood for a few photo ops. Here are a few of our favorite pictures from the event.
The Mummy is already making some substantial changes to the existing mythology of the franchise. Instead of taking the form of another period piece, the film will center on contemporary archaeologist Nick Morton (Tom Cruise) who finds himself locked in a vicious battle against a resurrected mummy named Princess Ahmanet -- portrayed by Sofia Boutella as the franchise's first female mummy. The core direction of the franchise remains intact, but the change in setting offers a wide array of new technology and options for crafting set pieces. Needless to say, we're beyond excited.
Universal Pictures struck gold by locking down an action icon like Tom Cruise for the upcoming Mummy reboot. The entire Universal Monster Universe--recently revamped as Dark Universe--feels like a massive experiment in how far the "cinematic universe' idea can stretch itself, but bringing in someone with Cruise's level of commitment and screen presence already bodes well for the project. With plans for The Invisible Man, a reboot of Van Helsing, The Wolf Man, and The Creature From the Black Lagoon also in development, kicking this universe off in The Mummy realm (with Cruise's star power behind it) seems like a smart choice.
The Mummy will debut in theaters next month on June 9. Stay tuned for more updates related to the rest of the Dark Universe!
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