Brendan Fraser’s return to the The Mummy franchise now has an official title. Universal Pictures has named the upcoming film The Mummy: Book of the Dead and set its theatrical release for 15 October 2027, exactly one year after the title announcement.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the filmmaking duo known as Radio Silence, will direct the new instalment from a screenplay by David Coggeshall, whose credits include The Family Plan. Fraser will reprise his role as Rick O’Connell, while Rachel Weisz returns as Evie O’Connell. John Hannah, Michael Johnston, Numan Acar, Kevin J. O’Connor and Oded Fehr will also star. Universal has yet to reveal the plot.
The franchise began with the 1932 Universal monster film The Mummy, which featured Boris Karloff in the title role. Fraser and Weisz launched their version of the adventure series with Stephen Sommers’ 1999 film of the same name. It follows treasure hunter Rick, who sets out on an adventure with Evie and her brother Jonathan, played by Hannah. Their expedition accidentally awakens a mummy.
Sommers revisited the story in The Mummy Returns in 2001. The franchise later continued with The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor in 2008, which received a poor response, before Universal attempted a reboot starring Tom Cruise in 2017. The 1999 film also spawned the 2002 spin-off The Scorpion King, which gave Dwayne Johnson his first leading film role.
Producers Sean Daniel, who has worked on five previous films in the franchise, William Sherak, James Vanderbilt and Paul Neinstein of Project X Entertainment will oversee the new instalment. Clayton Townsend will also produce. Fraser and Jason F. Brown of Hivemind will serve as executive producers.
Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett previously directed the 2022 revival of Scream and its follow-up, Scream VI. Their latest film, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, also arrived this year.
The new film follows the franchise’s enduring box-office appeal. The five theatrical releases beginning with the 1999 film have earned more than $1.8 billion worldwide.
Marking the original film’s 25th anniversary, Sommers told The Hollywood Reporter that he remained pleased by its lasting cultural impact. He said the film had never really disappeared, noting that it continued to air on television. He also joked about the financial benefits of its continued popularity.
“It’s so funny how it just never went away,” Sommers said. “It’s always on TV somewhere. And I know, especially because the residual checks are great. I hate to say it, but somehow, it’s endeared itself to a lot of people.”
