‘The Mummy’ Returns! Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz Are Back in Action as Filming Begins

Franchise revivals have become something of a Hollywood staple over the past decade, but few announcements have carried the kind of nostalgic weight that comes with reuniting a beloved adventure duo after nearly two decades apart. Universal’s classic monster franchise has spent years as one of the industry’s most requested comebacks, and fans are finally getting their wish.

The turn-of-the-century adventure series first launched in 1999, built around a cursed Egyptian priest and the treasure hunters unlucky enough to wake him from his ancient slumber. That original film and its 2001 sequel became massive box office hits, establishing star power for its leads and cementing the franchise as a beloved piece of blockbuster history for an entire generation.

Now that legacy is officially getting a new chapter. Brendan Fraser confirmed during an interview with Canal+ at the American Film Festival in Deauville that filming on the fourth ‘Mummy‘ installment begins Monday, September 7, marking his return to the franchise after nearly two decades since he last played Rick O’Connell in 2008’s ‘The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.’

Rachel Weisz’s return carries even more significance given how long she’s been away from the role. She last played Evelyn O’Connell 25 years ago in 2001’s ‘The Mummy Returns,’ having sat out the 2008 threequel entirely when Maria Bello took over the part. Her comeback effectively picks the story back up as a direct continuation of the beloved original duology rather than a follow-up to the third film.

Fraser and Weisz won’t be reuniting alone, either. John Hannah is also confirmed to return as Evelyn’s brother Jonathan, alongside franchise veterans Kevin J. O’Connor as Beni and Oded Fehr as Ardeth Bay, rounding out a cast list that reads like a genuine full-circle moment for longtime fans of the series.

Directing duties fall to Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the filmmaking team known as Radio Silence, who built their reputation reviving the ‘Scream’ franchise with 2022’s ‘Scream’ and its follow-up ‘Scream VI.’ The pair also directed 2019’s ‘Ready or Not’ and the 2024 vampire horror film ‘Abigail,’ giving them an established track record of successfully rebooting beloved genre properties for modern audiences.

Universal has dated the new film for a wide theatrical release on October 15, 2027, moving up from an initially reported May 2028 target date. The screenplay comes from David Coggeshall, known for his work on ‘The Family Plan’ and ‘Orphan: First Kill,’ with plot details for the new film being kept firmly under wraps for now.

Gillett has described the project as beautiful, scary, and sweeping, while co-director Bettinelli-Olpin has suggested that Fraser and Weisz wouldn’t have signed on unless they felt genuinely confident in the direction the story was taking. That sentiment lines up with how deliberately the studio and creative team appear to be handling this particular legacy sequel, given how much affection still surrounds the original films.

Longtime producer Sean Daniel, who has shepherded every installment of the franchise since the original 1999 film, is also returning for this new chapter, alongside William Sherak, James Vanderbilt, and Paul Neinstein through Project X Entertainment. Fraser himself will serve as an executive producer on the film in addition to reprising his starring role.

With cameras now officially rolling and a theatrical release date locked in for October 2027, fans finally have a concrete timeline for the reunion they’ve been requesting for years. Whether the new film manages to recapture the swashbuckling charm of the original duology remains to be seen, but the return of its two original leads alone has already generated genuine excitement across the fandom.

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