Dust Off Your Scarab Amulets: Rick and Evie Are Headed Back to the Tomb—But is the Sequel a Thrill Ride or a Burial? We Unearth the Hard Facts, Directorial Shockers, and the Ultimate Dream Cast.

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The desert air just got a whole lot heavier, didn’t it? For two decades, the idea of a true sequel to The Mummy Returns (2001) has been a Hollywood mirage, shimmering tantalizingly on the horizon, only to fade with a gust of sand. But the mirage is now an oasis: Rick and Evelyn O’Connell are coming back!

The original The Mummy (1999) was a cultural phenomenon, blending Indiana Jones charm with creature feature thrills and rocketing to a spectacular $416 million worldwide box office.

The sequel, The Mummy Returns, doubled down on the mayhem, cementing the trio of Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, and John Hannah as cinematic royalty. Then came the stumble: Weisz departed for the third film, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), and the franchise lost its spark.

Finally, Universal’s desperate attempt at a Dark Universe launch with Tom Cruise in 2017—a humorless, dreary affair—was thankfully sealed in a tomb, marking a historic box office flop.

But the Brenaissance is real! On November 4, 2025, Deadline shattered the internet with a scoop that has fans (us included!) frantically scrubbing their old DVDs.

Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz are reportedly in talks with Universal Pictures for a direct sequel that would wisely ignore the events of the third film.

Could Fraser’s Rick O’Connell, the ultimate wise-cracking adventurer, finally save the franchise from its 2017 tomb? When’s the unearthing? And who is joining the O’Connells on their next treasure hunt? Let’s unwrap the bandages and find out.

Put your skepticism back in the coffer next to the Book of the Dead—this time, it’s not a hoax. After years of circulating fan posters, deepfake trailers, and unreliable “scoops,” the return of the O’Connells is finally getting the Hollywood treatment it deserves.

Universal Pictures has reportedly greenlit the sequel—not a reboot, but a direct continuation of the story we know and love. The most exciting news, beyond the lead stars, is the creative team tasked with resurrecting the action-adventure/horror-comedy tone.

The directing duo known as Radio Silence (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett) are attached to helm the project . This is a massive, and intriguing, shift! Radio Silence is responsible for successfully reviving the Scream franchise and delivering the cult-hit horror-comedy Ready or Not and the recent critical success, Abigail.

Their expertise in blending genuine horror with witty banter and slick action makes them a perfect, unexpected choice to recapture the original Mummy’s magic.

Key Production Details:

• Studio: Universal Pictures
• Status: Greenlit (in development/pre-production)
• Directors: Radio Silence (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett)
• Producer: Franchise veteran Sean Daniel is set to return.
• Screenwriter: David Coggeshall (Orphan: First Kill) is penning the script.

While original director Stephen Sommers is not currently attached to direct, his tone will clearly be the blueprint, and his original producer, Sean Daniel, is back in the fold.

The O’Connell Legacy and Fan Hype

The push for this sequel has always come from the fans and the cast itself. Fraser, revitalized by his Oscar-winning ‘Brenaissance’ for The Whale, has long expressed his willingness to return, as long as the film kept the original’s spirit.

“The ingredient that I think we had and I’ve learned from the films that I’ve done is fun,” Fraser said in a 2022 interview, in an apparent jab at the dour 2017 version. “That was what was lacking in that incarnation. It was too much of a straight-ahead horror movie. The Mummy should be a thrill ride, not a scary one.”

The ecstatic social media response, with #Mummy4 and #Brenaissance trending globally upon the news break, proves Universal has finally listened to the public—and secured the secret sauce: the chemistry between Rick and Evelyn. Even the ever-enthusiastic Oded Fehr (Ardeth Bay) had been teasing the possibility of a cast reunion for months, saying the whole team was ready!

His enthusiasm suggests the return might involve more than just the O’Connells.

Mummy 4 Release Date: What’s the Timeline?

Here’s the brutal truth: a proper release date has not been officially announced. With the Deadline scoop being so recent (November 2025), the project is only just moving from the “in-talks” phase to active development and pre-production.

However, we can indulge in some educated speculation based on studio schedules and the scope of a blockbuster.

The Production Pipeline:

1. 2026: Pre-Production & Casting: The script by David Coggeshall must be finalized, and the stars’ schedules (Fraser, Weisz, and any major supporting cast) aligned. Radio Silence is known for working quickly, but a film of this scale—likely with a hefty $150 million to $200 million budget—requires significant planning.
2. Late 2026/Early 2027: Filming: The O’Connells can’t stay in London! Filming locations in the franchise are crucial. Expect a global shoot, likely returning to the deserts of Morocco, Jordan, or Egypt for authentic sand-swept vistas, and studio work in a major hub like London or Atlanta.
3. 2027–2028: Post-Production & Release: A film this reliant on visual effects (mummies, scarabs, ancient armies) will spend a solid year in post-production. This pushes the most optimistic release window to late 2027 or, more likely, a Summer 2028 blockbuster slot.

Will Universal position The Mummy 4 for a summer smash, playing on the nostalgia for the original films’ May/July release dates, or an October spooky slot to lean into the horror elements? Given the adventure tone, a summer theatrical slot seems most likely to maximize box office returns.

Don’t Confuse the Curses: The Other Mummy

Adding a layer of confusion to the timeline is the fact that Universal isn’t the only one digging up the past. Warner Bros. (WB) is producing an entirely separate Mummy project, a gritty horror reboot directed by Evil Dead Rise‘s Lee Cronin. This is a crucial distinction!

The WB/Blumhouse film is already deep in production and set for a firm 2026 release, starring Jack Reynor and others.¹⁵ Rest assured, Rick O’Connell’s new adventure is not that film.

• Poll Idea: If you could pick the release date, would you want The Mummy 4 to be a Summer smash or a spooky October slot?

🎭 Mummy 4 Cast: Confirmed Stars, Rumors, and Dream Picks

The heart of the Mummy trilogy was its impeccable cast chemistry. A sequel without the core team just wouldn’t work—and Universal knows it.

Confirmed & In-Talks Stars

• Brendan Fraser as Rick O’Connell: Confirmed to be in talks [1]. Rick’s transformation from charming rogue to dedicated husband/father defined the series. After his recent career resurgence, there is no better time for his return.
• Rachel Weisz as Evelyn Carnahan-O’Connell (Evie): Confirmed to be in talks [1].¹⁶ This is the massive news! Weisz, an Oscar winner who famously skipped the third film, returning signifies a commitment to quality and a true, two-film sequel. The spark between the resourceful, intellectual Evie and the action-hero Rick is non-negotiable.

Rumors: Who Else is Ready to Fight the Undead?

• John Hannah as Jonathan Carnahan: Strong Rumor. Evelyn’s perpetually self-interested, yet ultimately heroic, brother is the comedy relief we need. He was a staple of all three films, and it’s impossible to imagine an O’Connell adventure without him grumbling about a lost ruby or a close call with a plague of locusts.
• Oded Fehr as Ardeth Bay: Very Likely Rumor. The chieftain of the Medjai and Rick’s loyal ally has openly stated his eagerness to return! Ardeth Bay’s stoicism and battle skills are essential to the action. Who’s your ultimate Medjai returnee?
• Luke Ford as Alex O’Connell: Likely Rumor, but Recast Possible. The character of Rick and Evie’s son would need to be aged up considerably from his appearance in Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Given the 16-year gap since that film, an adult Alex (likely in his late 20s or early 30s) could be an anchor for a new generation of adventurers. Whether Ford returns, or a new actor takes the role, remains to be seen.

The Dream Casting Wishlist

A new era requires new faces, perhaps a fresh villain or a new generation of adventurers to pass the torch to.

• The Big Bad: A villain with the charisma and presence to match Arnold Vosloo’s Imhotep. We’re dreaming of an Oscar-caliber antagonist like Antonio Banderas as a rival treasure hunter or Oscar Isaac as a mysteriously resurrected figure from history.
• The Next Gen: To build out a new team, imagine a witty archaeologist rival played by Anya Taylor-Joy or an action-focused sidekick played by Jacob Elordi.
• A New Monster: While Imhotep is the iconic menace, a new mummy—or perhaps a different Universal Monster entirely, like a classic werewolf or vampire—would keep the lore fresh.

🌟 Conclusion: The Mummy 4—An Adventure Worth Waiting For

The news that Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz are in talks for The Mummy 4 is the cinematic equivalent of finding a lost treasure—it’s the reunion fans have dreamed of since the mid-2000s.

With the horror-comedy mastery of Radio Silence at the helm, the sequel has a genuine chance to recapture the tone that made the original films spectacular: a blend of swashbuckling adventure, genuinely thrilling monster action, and the unbeatable, witty chemistry between Rick and Evie.

The path is fraught with pitfalls, of course. The film must avoid the trap of overly complicated lore (like the third film) or ditching the humor for grim realism (like the 2017 reboot). It needs to honor the spirit of Stephen Sommers while feeling fresh for a 2028 audience.

But with the right script—one that brings the O’Connells back to the heart of the desert and pits them against a terrifying, yet entertaining, curse—this could be the blockbuster revival that Hollywood has been desperately seeking.

The scrolls are being unrolled. The cast is assembling. The question now isn’t if the mummy will rise again, but what curse should they unleash next? Drop your theories, dream cast members, and sequel title ideas in the comments.