Brendan Fraser made some fans' viewing experience of The Mummy a little more special.
Amid a career comeback that now includes a Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar nod for The Whale, Fraser attended a double feature of The Mummy and The Mummy Returns at London's The Prince Charles Cinema on Jan. 20, reported via Variety. After thanking the crowd for giving him a standing ovation and watching the films, the star briefly explained the creative process of selecting a genre for The Mummy. "We had no idea what kind of movie we were making when we shot this," he addressed the audience. "We didn't know if it was a drama or a comedy or an action or a horror picture or a romance… all the above. We had no idea until it tested in front of British audiences. Thank you for that."
Released in 1999, The Mummy follows protagonist Rick O'Connell (Fraser) and his journey to Hamunaptra, the City of the Dead. Jonathan Carnahan (John Hannah) and his sister Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) join Rick's adventure, on which they accidentally awaken a high priest named Imhotep after reading the Book of the Dead aloud. Despite initial mixed reviews, The Mummy proved a commercial success that spawned two sequels, 2001's The Mummy Returns and 2008's The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Notably, the 2001 sequel featured Dwayne Johnson as the Scorpion King, which was the WWE wrester and future megastar's first movie role.
Brendan Fraser Wants More Mummy Movies
Interestingly, Fraser recently expressed interest in reprising his role in a Mummy franchise revival. "I don't think I've been this famous and unsalaried at the same time in my professional life, so sign me up," he said. Fraser last appeared in the 2008 film, but rumors have circulated for years surrounding a fourth installment. After the premiere of Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Universal began production on The Mummy: Rise of the Aztec, which ultimately went unproduced.
If Rise of the Aztec had come to fruition, the film would have starred Fraser, Maria Bello (who took Weisz's place as Evelyn in Dragon Emperor) and Luke Ford, with Antonio Banderas as the villain. However, Universal abandoned the project in favor of a franchise reboot. In 2017's' The Mummy, Tom Cruise joined the film series as U.S. Army Sergeant Nick Morton in present-day London to uncover the tomb of Egyptian princess Ahmanet. New Girl's Jake Johnson also appeared as Morton's sidekick. As to why the movie failed, Fraser believed 2017's The Mummy lacked the "fun" present in the original films.
Of course, Fraser continues to ride (now Oscar-nominated) momentum off his starring role in director Darren Aronofsky's The Whale. At the 79th Venice Film Festival, the actor received a six-minute standing ovation for his performance as Charlie, a 600-pound professor estranged from his 17-year-old daughter. Additionally, he played the villainous Firefly in Batgirl for a performance that may never see the light of day since Warner Bros. Discovery decided to cancel the nearly-completed film.
The Whale is currently playing in theaters.
Source: Variety