We knew Universal decided to revive the idea of their classic monsters sharing a world; while it may be inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, Dracula, and the Mummy have all butted heads in various combinations before. But this is the first word we’ve gotten of how that will launch, and it’s with Imhotep.
And according to The Hollywood Reporter, the Indiana Jones vibe that made the first movie a lot of fun? Yeah, that’s being summarily dumped by director, producer, and writer Alex Kurtzman.
Plot details are being kept under wraps, but it’s understood that the new Mummy is set in the present and is not a horror play but rather an action-adventure tentpole with horror elements. It also will feature new characters and not rehash previous incarnations.
“Over the course of developing The Mummy, Alex has demonstrated such clarity and passion about this character and mythology,” said co-president of production Jeff Kirschenbaum. “He knows why The Mummy has fascinated us for so long and how to bring that into an inventive, incredible new adventure.”
Man, poor Brendan Fraser. Maybe they’ll throw him a pity cameo?
As for the update, well, it could work, but at the same time, it could be incredibly annoying. A lot depends not just on the action scenes but on what they actually deliver and how it uses the modern setting. Not helping matters is that Kurtzman’s main directorial achievement so far is People Like Us, a rather cheesy and contrived family drama with creepy incestuous overtones, largely salvaged by the cast.
So, well, there’s that. But, hey, creepy is what they’re going for, right?