Rachel Weisz Is Back as Evelyn O’Connell, and ‘The Mummy 4’ First Set Photos Have Fans Losing It

Some franchise reunions take years to actually materialize, and this one has been a long time coming. For nearly two decades, fans of Universal’s beloved adventure series have wondered whether the original chemistry that made it work could ever be recaptured.

That question is finally being answered in real time, as production photos have started emerging from a London set that longtime fans have been waiting to see for years.

FIRST LOOK AT RACHEL WEISZ FILMING FOR THE MUMMY 4! pic.twitter.com/mB1MqvgiJk

— The Dr. Rachel Weisz daily count bot (@kiana_weisz) September 26, 2026

Rachel Weisz has officially returned as Evelyn O’Connell for ‘The Mummy 4,’ with new set photos showing her back in character for the first time since 2001’s ‘The Mummy Returns.’ The images, captured outside the British Museum in London, show Weisz dressed in a mustard-yellow polka-dot skirt, a cropped brown jacket, a rust-colored blouse and scarf, long leather gloves, and a wide-brimmed hat, clutching a vintage leather briefcase and an old-fashioned transistor radio.

RACHEL WEISZ AS EVELYN O’CONNELL IN THE BIG 2026? LET’S FUCKING GOOOO❤️‍🔥 #themummy pic.twitter.com/J5k9hqcDn5

— The Dr. Rachel Weisz daily count bot (@kiana_weisz) September 26, 2026

The moment carries real weight for a franchise that hasn’t fully clicked since Weisz stepped away. She chose not to return for 2008’s ‘The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,’ with Maria Bello taking over the role of Evelyn for that installment. While Bello did what she could with the part, fans widely felt something was missing without the chemistry Weisz shared with co-star Brendan Fraser, who is also confirmed to reprise his role as Rick O’Connell.

Rachel Weisz spotted on set while filming 'The Mummy 4' movie pic.twitter.com/sIjmhddbL2

— non aesthetic things (@PicturesFoIder) September 27, 2026

Notably, this new film appears to be sidestepping the events of that divisive third installment altogether. When directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the filmmaking duo known as Radio Silence, were asked directly whether ‘Tomb of the Dragon Emperor’ would be treated as canon, Bettinelli-Olpin’s answer left little room for interpretation.

🚨 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞 – Brendan Fraser with Co Star, Rachel Weisz on set of 'THE MUMMY 4' currently shooting in London pic.twitter.com/oTCFogqksc

— 𝗕𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗕𝘂𝘇𝘇 (@BoinkBuzz) September 27, 2026

“Well, Rachel is in this one,” he said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, with Gillett adding, “That should answer the question for you.” It’s a clear signal that this sequel is picking up the thread from the first two films rather than folding in anything from the recast era.

Both directors have been effusive about the script itself, written by David Coggeshall. Gillett described it as “really, really beautiful and scary and sweeping,” while Bettinelli-Olpin said it carried “all of the heart and the character that you could hope for,” adding that neither Fraser nor Weisz would have signed on unless they genuinely believed in the material.

Fraser has been vocal for years about wanting another shot at the character, and Weisz was reportedly aged fifty-six when she began filming these new scenes, twenty-eight years after she first played Evelyn at the age of twenty-eight in 1998. Given that the original ‘Mummy’ was set in 1926, the timeline for this new installment suggests the story will likely unfold sometime in the early to mid-1950s.

Beyond Fraser and Weisz, other franchise regulars have been quietly reappearing as well. Oded Fehr, who played the Medjai warrior Ardeth Bay in the earlier films, recently shared a glimpse of himself getting back into character makeup, fueling further speculation about which other familiar faces might resurface alongside the returning leads.

Production on the untitled sequel reportedly began in early September 2026, with a theatrical release currently set for October 15, 2027. That timeline means Weisz will be reprising Evelyn more than twenty-five years after she last played the role on screen, a gap that makes these first images feel especially significant to longtime fans of the trilogy.

Judging by the reaction rippling across social media since the photos surfaced, anticipation for this reunion is running high. For a franchise that struggled to recapture its early magic after Weisz’s departure, getting the whole “band back together,” as Fraser once teased, might be exactly what it needs.

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