A Reel 25: THE MUMMY

“This creature is the bringer of death…”

 

This month marks the 25^th anniversary of Stephen Sommers’ THE MUMMY. 

 

A loose remake of the 1932 version of the story of a cursed Egyptian priest who returns from the dead, Stephen Sommers’ THE MUMMY was a high-adventure inspired by the classic Hollywood films of old. Horror was traded in for fun and thrills, love and adventure, chills and spectacle…harking back to the Golden Age of Hollywood. 

 

The journey to resurrect THE MUMMY goes back to 1992, when Universal Studios decided to update the original for modern audiences. Famed horror directors Clive Barker (HELLRAISER), and George A. Romero (NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD), worked on early versions, as did Joe Dante (THE HOWLING) …who wanted Daniel Day-Lewis as a brooding mummy. Wes Craven (A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET), was also considered to direct the project, which at this point was leaning towards a straight-up horror film with a low budget. The turning point came in 1997 when Stephen Sommers came on board with a vision of THE MUMMY as a cross between INDIANA JONES and JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS. Universal liked the idea and gave the go-ahead while increasing the budget. 

 

The inspired casting included Brandan Fraser as an American adventurer, Rachel Weisz as a clumsy but intelligent Egyptologist, Arnold Vosloo as Imhotep the resurrected mummy, and John Hannah as the bumbling brother to Weisz’s character. The rest of the cast included Kevin J. O’Connor, Oded Fehr, Erick Avari, Patricia Velasquez, and two TITANIC alums: Bernard Fox and Jonathan Hyde. Filming took place in Morocco, the Sahara Desert, and the United Kingdom. The score was provided by famed composer Jerry Goldsmith of STAR TREK fame. Visual effects were accomplished by Industrial Light and Magic, which was experimenting with new technology called CGI to bring the mummy to life. 

 

Despite mixed reviews, THE MUMMY was a hit, and would finish as the 6^th highest grossing film of 1999. It would be nominated for an Oscar for Best Sound, and Goldsmith would win a BMI Award for his score. It would also receive a BAFTA nomination for its visual effects. 

 

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Over time, some of the most popular, successful, and time-tested films are the ones that check off three boxes: Action, Adventure, and Romance. These are basic storytelling elements that Hollywood had played with for decades, and was then brought together with RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK in 1981. THE MUMMY takes inspiration from RAIDERS, and delivers on all fronts; high energy, fun characters, gorgeous cinematography, a classic score, and a sense of whimsy and adventure on the highest level. It played out as a love letter to classic cinema and a bygone era of Hollywood. Today, despite 20-year-old CGI, THE MUMMY hasn’t aged a day, and stands as one of those perfect films; perfect for dates, entertainment, or just taking in an adventure. 

 

“Rescue the damsel in distress, kill the bad guy, and save the world.”