The adventure that defined a generation of moviegoers is rising again.
Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz have officially closed deals to return to Universal’s The Mummy franchise, reprising their iconic roles as Rick and Evelyn O’Connell in a new installment “The Mummy 4” that the studio will release in theaters on May 19, 2028.
For fans who grew up on the swashbuckling romance and supernatural spectacle of the late-’90s blockbuster, the news feels less like another reboot and more like the long-awaited continuation of a story that never truly left the cultural conversation. After months of negotiations and years of audience demand, Universal has made the reunion real and placed it squarely at the start of the summer movie season.
Radio Silence Enters the Tomb
Taking on directing duties are Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the filmmakers collectively known as Radio Silence. In recent years, the duo has built a reputation for reviving beloved genre properties with a mix of reverence and fresh energy. Their work on the latest Scream films reintroduced that franchise to a new generation, while their 2024 vampire thriller Abigail marked a successful collaboration with Universal.
The studio is clearly betting that Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett can perform a similar balancing act with The Mummy: honoring what audiences loved while crafting something that doesn’t feel trapped in amber.
The screenplay is written by David Coggeshall (The Family Plan, Orphan: First Kill). True to franchise tradition, plot details are being kept tightly sealed.
The Magic of Rick and Evelyn
Fraser anchored the original run of films between 1999 and 2008, establishing Rick O’Connell as a different kind of action hero, brave and capable, but also wry, romantic, and endearingly overwhelmed by the supernatural chaos around him.
Weisz’s Evelyn, meanwhile, evolved from bookish scholar to fearless adventurer, providing both the emotional heart and intellectual backbone of the story. Her absence from 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor has lingered in the minds of many fans, making her return one of the most celebrated elements of the new project.
Together, the pair created a partnership that blended old Hollywood glamour with modern humor. Their banter, devotion, and sheer sense of fun became as essential to the films as mummies, sandstorms, and ancient curses.
A Look Back at the Phenomenon
Directed and co-written by Stephen Sommers, 1999’s The Mummy reimagined Universal’s classic monster legacy through the lens of an Indiana Jones-style adventure. Set largely in the 1920s, it followed Rick and Evelyn as they inadvertently awakened a resurrected high priest with catastrophic power.
The gamble paid off. The film grossed more than $422 million worldwide, spawned the hit sequel The Mummy Returns in 2001, and turned Fraser into one of the era’s most bankable stars.
Universal expanded the property further with the spinoff The Scorpion King, which helped launch Dwayne Johnson’s movie career, along with animated projects and enduring theme-park attractions. Altogether, the franchise has earned roughly $1.8 billion in global ticket sales.
Even as later attempts to reshape the studio’s monster universe struggled, affection for the Fraser-led films remained constant, passed down through reruns, DVDs, and streaming, where new viewers continued to discover the series’ blend of spectacle and sincerity.
The Team Behind the Return
Longtime franchise guardian Sean Daniel is back as producer, continuing a stewardship that dates to the original 1999 film. He is joined by William Sherak, James Vanderbilt, and Paul Neinstein of Project X Entertainment, frequent collaborators of Radio Silence on Scream and Abigail.
Fraser will executive produce alongside Hivemind’s Jason F. Brown and Denis Stewart.
For Universal, executive VP of production development Jay Polidoro and director of production development Jacqueline Garell are overseeing the project.
More Than Nostalgia
In an industry crowded with revivals, reunions, and legacy sequels, this one arrives with unusual emotional currency. Fraser’s career renaissance in recent years has renewed appreciation for the charisma he brought to Rick O’Connell, while Weisz remains one of the most respected performers of her generation.
Their return signals not just another trip into familiar territory, but a recognition of what made these films resonate in the first place: sweeping adventure grounded by characters audiences genuinely love.
What new danger could pull Rick and Evelyn back into the desert? Universal isn’t saying. But the promise of seeing them side by side again is already enough to stir anticipation.
The tomb reopens on May 19, 2028.
