Not too long ago, we had hear news that Brendan Fraser wasn’t against making a fourth Mummy movie, so long as it’s a fun one. That was a prospect that I personally love to no end, as we could use that sort of movie at the box office at this point in time. But I have to admit, I’m one of the people who completely did not know about the existence of the potential sequel that was on deck to succeed The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.
So, like a canary in the franchise coal mine, I’m about to sound off and say that not only is it the time for a new outing in The Mummy franchise, but this script that’s been brought back to the attention of the world is something that would be the perfect grounds to make that happen. We’re reading from the book again, folks, as I’m going to give you these solid reasons as to why it’s time to get back into business with Rick and Evelyn O’Connell.
Another New Location Would Be Brought Into The Mummy Mix
While the first two Mummy movies anchored themselves as mostly taking place in the confines of Egypt and London, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor made the wise decision to shift the action to China. With a new location, a new culture was brought into the mix. This not only could inspire audiences to research the true history of the film’s inspirations, but also provides a change of scenery. People may not have reacted to the movie as well as had been hoped, but at the very least it gave Universal a way out of Egypt.
The Mummy 4, rumored to be named The Mummy: Rise of the Aztecs, would have brought the series to South America, continuing that trend. As the series’ true gems are the O’Connell/Carnahan family, with their sparkling personalities and witty banter, you could set these films anywhere and it’d play fantastically. Provided, of course, that you have the right script and the right villain.
Antonio Banderas Would Make A Perfect Mummy Villain
To be the perfect Mummy villain, you need to be a credible threat, but make yourself an accessible character. Arnold Vosloo used both halves of that equation in The Mummy and The Mummy Returns to create a villain that while tragic, was still imposing when he got to work. So naturally, when it was mentioned that Antonio Banderas was in the mix for The Mummy 4, that just the sort of ingredient a movie like this could use to its advantage.
Antonio Banderas’ brand of swagger and menace is exactly what The Mummy: Rise of the Aztecs could use to reinvigorate the franchise. Not to mention, watching Banderas going toe to toe with both Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz is exactly the type of fun that The Mummy 4 should be aiming for in its adventurous resurrection.
Paul Feig’s Dark Army Could Use A Mummy Movie As A Starting Point
The whole reason this fourth Mummy movie even came up is because of a story that involved Paul Feig’s upcoming Dark Army project. Universal is hoping that their frequent creative partner can bring a new spin to the Monsters’ canon that the studio has legendarily traded on. Nothing would be more perfect, in terms of buying time and laying down the right foundation for that film’s future than to make The Mummy: Rise of the Aztecs.
Original franchise director Stephen Sommers has always been good about mixing humor in with his horror, and those first two Mummy adventures are living proof. The Mummy 4 would bring a familiar series back to its adoring public, and it could lay down the tracks for more of Paul Feig’s humor to organically blend into the Universal Monsters’ future DNA. Which could be handy when it comes to the competition that looks to be building at other studios.
Universal Could Give Disney’s Jungle Cruise Some Future Competition
I’m going to say this as the biggest compliment I can give to Disney’s Jungle Cruise movie: it looks like a movie that’s a perfect for a world without Brendan Fraser’s The Mummy as an active concern. The thrills, the mysticism, and the banter that binds Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson in the first trailer for the film really do make the audience feel like this is a lost Mummy movie that was just waiting for the right time to exist.
With that in mind, it’d be smart for Universal to get back in on the ground floor of films inspired by the swashbuckling adventure serials of old. And wouldn’t you know it, The Mummy 4 is sitting right there, waiting for any rewrites and cinematic universe upgrades to make the studio a player against their monolithic competition. Though this potential script also provides the most key advantage to even thinking of returning to the world of the O’Connell family.
It’s A Faster Way To Bring The Mummy Franchise Back
With a script, or at the very least a concept, that exists for The Mummy 4, there’s a key phase of the game already won. The best case scenario is that there’s a completed script that would need the right polish to get it up and running; and the worst situation would be that there’s a treatment or a concept that needs to be written into existence.
Either way, there’s a kernel of an idea for The Mummy: Rise of the Aztecs to grow from, and the internet has seemed to already have run wild with what was supposedly going to take place in the film. So rather than waiting for a writer’s room to break an idea that then goes into the writing process, there’s already an idea that awaits the lucky person who gets to write Rick and Evelyn’s one-liners and action set-pieces.
The nostalgia wave is already ripe for The Mummy’s return. Now that an idea with the right components has resurfaced, and the future of Universal Monsters is already on the minds of the studio’s executives, there’s no reason that The Mummy 4 couldn’t happen. “Fun” is the operative word when it comes to reviving The Mummy for one and all, and the path to bringing this idea into the world of the living is something that sounds like it has that word written into every page.
Of course, that all depends on how, and if, this idea comes to fruition. But at the very least, fans of the franchise have something to talk about and potentially start an online movement around. So long as people are talking about The Mummy on the internet, there’s still hope that it will be on the big screen yet again.
