Brendan Fraser may be in the middle of a renaissance, but he’s still open to returning to one of his earlier roles. Having previously portrayed Rick O’Connell inThe Mummy, Fraser says he’s still ready to take on the undead.
The Mummyis an enduring classic these days. Though the film is a remake, some might say that the movie is more well-known than its predecessor today.Fraser has been positive about the idea ofThe Mummy 4,though nothing is official. The decision to continue the franchise would ultimately be up to Universal Pictures, who owns the rights to the movies.
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Fraser, who is currently promoting his filmThe Whale,was interviewed byDeadlineabout his career. When asked about the likelihood of returning toThe Mummy,Fraser seemed enthusiastic. “I’m not opposed to it, I don’t know an actor who doesn’t want a job,” Fraser said. “I don’t think I’ve been this famous and unsalaried at the same time in my professional life, so sign me up!”
Universal has previously attempted to rebootThe Mummywith Tom Cruise in the lead role as part of its attempt to build a new Universal Monsters cinematic universe, and it did not go over well. Thedirector ofThe Mummyreboot considers it the biggest failure of his career. It’s probably safe to say that Universal isn’t eager to revisit that particular version ofThe Mummy.
But Fraser’s version ofThe Mummycreated its own genre, which many tried and failed to replicate. It was a swashbuckling adventure with no pretensions about being dark or gritty. It simply had fun with the idea of a reawakened mummy in the 20th century. Rachel Weisz and Fraser had undeniable chemistry with one another, and the first two films feature several beloved background characters whose actors deliver delightfully hammy performances.
Even today, some films attempt to capture that irreverence and fail to do so. Some claimJungle Cruisedesperately wanted to beThe Mummy,only to miss the mark. There’s something about theMummyfranchise that captures just the right amount of heart, a niche that’s been missing in cinematic releases lately. Films tend to stay away from camp these days, instead opting for irony, and a newMummyfilm could be just the breath of fresh air audiences need.
