Set just a few years following the uncovering of King Tutankhamun’s tomb,The Mummytransports audiences back to Cairo in 1926 whenarchaeologists were flocking to Egypt’s capital cityin hopes of unearthing something magnificent. At the center of the tale is Fraser’s Rick O’Connell,a sort-of Indiana Jones-type characterwho loves to get the adrenaline pumping while out on the hunt for treasure. His latest journey takes him to Hamunaptra, the City of the Dead, where he’s guidinglibrarian and budding Egyptologist Evelyn Carnahan(Weisz) and her brother, Jonathan (John Hannah). Along the way, the trio inadvertently wake a villainous high priest (Arnold Vosloo) from his centuries-long slumber - a move that will put them on the journey of a lifetime as they try to hold onto their lives against the supernatural entity who plans on using Evelyn’s body as the vessel through which to bring back his beloved.
Universal Dug Up a Franchise
Just as Vosloo’s high priest Imhotep was unearthed by the trio of adventurers inThe Mummy, Universal Pictures used theStephen Sommers-helmed (Van Helsing) film as a way to reinvigorate the franchise. The title served as a remake ofthe classic 1932 film of the same name, and quickly became a financial hit for the studio, earning more than $417 million against its $80 million production budget. Two years later, audiences were invited to re-enter the world of Rick O’Connell and Evelyn, who are now happily married following the events of the first film. But, their marital bliss is soon shattered after Imhotep rises from the afterlife for a third chance, while another ancient being known as The Scorpion King (Dwayne Johnson) also enters the picture. The production was one of the first major roles nabbed by then-pro-wrestler, Johnson, and would eventually lead to a spin-off film of his own, 2002’sThe Scorpion King. As forThe Mummy, despite Weisz’s departure, the adventure roared on for a third film,The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, that saw Fraser star oppositeJet Li.
Dig into some fictional historical fun and stream the movie that breathed new life into a franchise withThe Mummy,now streaming on Hulu.
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