Imitation is supposedly the sincerest form of flattery, but Hollywood has transformed that concept into something barely recognizable. For decades, franchises have been consuming themselves, churning out endless sequels, spinoffs, and remakes to sustain their most valuable properties. Often, it’s as grim as it sounds—Universal’s struggling “Dark Universe” serves as a prime example. The studio’s ambitious effort fell flat, and while it later found modest success with more grounded versions of The Invisible Man and Wolf Man, Universal now appears to be shifting strategy toward a safer bet. The company has enlisted Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett—the filmmaking pair known as Radio Silence—to resurrect the Mummy series and, ideally, correct nearly two decades of mistakes.
Though Stephen Sommers’ Mummy movies are technically reboots, they’re cherished enough to seem like the definitive trilogy. They defined the swashbuckling adventure genre for countless Millennials, though the series concluded on a sour note. The initial two installments starred Brendan Fraser as treasure hunter Rick O’Connell and Rachel Weisz as Evelyn Carnahan, the librarian-turned-Egyptologist who becomes his spouse. Their on-screen rapport was crucial to the reboot’s success, yet that magic dissipated when Maria Bello took over Weisz’s role in 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. The third entry also abandoned much of the franchise’s appeal in other respects, rendering it a chapter that most fans—and Radio Silence themselves—prefer to disregard.
will officially bring Fraser and Weisz back as the O’Connells, raising inevitable questions about continuity. Speculation mounted over whether the film would bypass Tomb of the Dragon Emperor entirely or retroactively alter Weisz’s involvement in that story—though story specifics have remained scarce, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett have now provided the clearest response yet.
When asked in an interview with whether they view Tomb of the Dragon Emperor as canon for The Mummy 4, the directors gave a straightforward response. “Well, Rachel is in this one,” Bettinelli-Olpin said.
“That should answer the question for you,” Gillett added.
The Mummy 4 appears to be returning to the formula that made the first two films successful—a move that should delight fans, especially since the screenplay already won over Fraser and Weisz. “I doubt Brendan and Rachel would sign on unless they adored the script,” Gillett continued. “Based on what they read, I believe they genuinely loved it. It’s a strong script… It’s truly beautiful, frightening, epic, and fantastic.”
That blend of elements captures precisely what has been absent since The Mummy Returns, indicating a genuine restoration of the franchise’s essence. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett have demonstrated their skill at respectful reinvention, particularly in horror through Scream 5 and Scream 6—and they seem to possess the ideal mindset to revive The Mummy saga. This represents one of those uncommon instances where imitation is perfectly acceptable, provided it erases the memory of so many ill-conceived remakes.