recent adaptations of The Mummy.

The most well-known versions of The Mummy were those starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz from the late ‘90s, but Universal Pictures rebooted the franchise once more in 2017 with Tom Cruise in the lead role. This was supposed to be the beginning of the studio’s proposed “Dark Universe”, bringing many of these classic monsters together into a shared narrative, but this unfortunately never went ahead. These modern adaptations received very mixed reviews, but it already seems like Cronin is avoiding the major pitfalls that Alex Kurtzman’s movies fell victim to.

Lee Cronin's The Mummy Is Going To Be A Proper Horror Movie

There Should Be A Solid Atmosphere Of Horror That's Been Missing Recently

Not too much has been confirmed about Cronin’s The Mummy adaptation yet, but it certainly seems like it’s going to be very different from the existing versions of this story. Namely, this cinematic adaptation will fit neatly within the horror genre, whereas the 1999 and 2017 versions were more concerned with action and adventure. This is a hugely exciting change, as it goes back to the roots of this classic folk tale; mummies are something intrinsically frightening, so it makes sense that Cronin’s The Mummy would want to lean into this style.

Details about The Mummy reboot remain extremely scarce, but the studio has confirmed that Midsommar’s Jack Reynor will lead the film’s talented ensemble alongside Laia Costa, May Calamawy, and Veronica Falcon. These are some very renowned and experienced names in the horror genre, further lending credence to the suggestion that the monster reboot will be returning to its frightening roots.

The Mummy Hasn't Been In A Real Horror Movie Since 1944

The Franchise Slowly Drifted Towards The Adventure Genre Instead

After the fairly disappointing Cruise Mummy films, it’s very exciting to hear that a director has a new, fresh vision for this long-running property. The main problem with the modern adaptations was that they simply felt too familiar and derivative, coming less than two decades after Fraser’s versions and keeping much of the same atmosphere and tone. This definitely wouldn’t work for a third time, so Cronin has promised a very different kind of Mummy movie with his adaptation.

Movies like The Mummy’s Ghost and The Mummy’s Curse were seemingly the last “pure” horror movies to use this formula.

While it’s very unlikely that Cronin’s The Mummy will connect with Fraser or Cruise’s films in any way, it seems much more tightly bound (at least in spirit) with the Universal “creature features” of the early 20th century. Movies like The Mummy’s Ghost and The Mummy’s Curse were seemingly the last “pure” horror movies to use this formula, so it’s hugely reassuring that the filmmaker is bringing some parts of these classic movies back for his modern take.

The Mummy Reboot Returning To Horror Will Separate It From Recent Adaptations

The Sequel Needs To Keep Itself Distinct From Previous Versions

The lack of horror was arguably the most disappointing thing about the modern adaptations of The Mummy. While it was great to update these stories with a grander scope of adventure, there was always something missing from the recent versions. 1999’s The Mummy is a great movie in many ways, but it’s not necessarily a great adaptation of what the 1930s creature features were going for. Hopefully, Cronin will be able to blend these two styles in a way that feels genuinely frightening and innovative again.