Hollywood loves a comeback story and Brendan Fraser is one of the best. The actor broke out in the early 1990s with hits like Encino Man and George of the Jungle, and built up into a major Hollywood leading man. However, the early 2000s saw Fraser’s career slow down due to various issues involving his health, and he focused more on television shows such as Doom Patrol.
However, Fraser made a fantastic return with his role as an obese man in 2022’s The Whale, which won him the Oscar for Best Actor. Fraser seems primed to make a full Hollywood return, which includes his all-time biggest hit franchise: The Mummy.
In 1999, Fraser solidified his leading man status with The Mummy. Written and directed by Stephen Sommers, the film updated the classic Universal Studios property into a rollicking adventure with Fraser as Rick O’Connell, a soldier of fortune aiding librarian Evie (Rachel Weisz in her breakout role), in a quest to track down an ancient treasure that awakens a demonic mummy (Arnold Vosloo).
The film was a massive hit, grossing $422 million worldwide. It spawned two sequels: 2001's The Mummy Returns and 2007’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. The franchise has lain dormant since Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, but plans are underway to revive it with Fraser and Weisz attached. The film will be handled by directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.
Fraser himself seems excited for the role, especially given it’s made for a better reason than the oft-panned third movie.
The surprising reason for The Mummy 3
Tomb of the Dragon Emperor was a low point for the franchise. Weisz (an Oscar winner by then) declined to return, with Maria Bello replacing her as Evie. Despite some good star power (it finally gave martial arts fans the showdown between icons Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh), the film grossed $405 million but was still seen as a disappointment.
Speaking to Variety, Fraser reflected on the third film and the surprisingly unique reason it was made.
“The one I wanted to make was never made. The third one was a model of … how can I say this to the AP reporter? NBC had the rights to broadcast the Olympics that year. So they put two together and we went to China. Working in Shanghai, an incredible experience. I’m proud of the third one because I think it’s a good standalone movie. We picked up and did what we do with a different crew on deck and gave it our best shot. But the one I wanted to make is forthcoming. And I’ve been waiting 20 years for this call. Sometimes it was loud, sometimes it was a faint telegraph. Now? It’s time to give the fans what they want.”
It should be noted at the time NBC was partnered with Universal Studios, the makers of the film, and opted for a story set in 1940s China. From Fraser's recollection, it sounds like this was done for ease of production by tacking onto an existing NBC commitment, more than because of any story-driven imperative. The meant skipping World War II, which would have been fertile ground for a new adventure. While it wasn’t bad as an action film, the absence of Weisz was felt and having Rick and Evie’s son Alex suddenly grown into an adult was jarring.
The franchise was intended to be revived in 2017 with Tom Cruise in the intended kickoff to Universal's “Dark Universe” films. However, that film was a critical and box office failure. Fraser has reflected in the past on why Cruise's film didn't work.
“It is hard to make that movie," Fraser said in 2022 while promoting The Whale. "The ingredient that we had going for our Mummy, which I didn’t see in that film, was fun. That was what was lacking in [Tom Cruise’s] incarnation. It was too much of a straight-ahead horror movie. ‘The Mummy’ should be a thrill ride, but not terrifying and scary.”
It sounds like Fraser finally has the right story to agree to return to his role. This film is joining the “legacy sequel” train, yet Fraser and Weisz being back will boost it up and with the right tale, this will hopefully prove that The Mummy truly never dies.
The Mummy movies are currently streaming on MGM+.