With Universal Pictures revisiting the Mummy franchise that made him a household name, Brendan Fraser is eager to tend to unfinished business.
After Deadline reported that The Mummy 4 is in the works at Universal with Fraser and Rachel Weisz expected to reprise their roles, the former confirmed that he’s preparing to film “the one I wanted to make” in lieu of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008).
“The one I wanted to make was never made,” he told the Associated Press, noting that the third installment was an attempt to capitalize on that year’s Summer Olympics in Beijing.
“NBC had the rights to broadcast the Olympics that year,” explained Fraser. “So they put two together and we went to China. Working in Shanghai, an incredible experience. I’m proud of the third one because I think it’s a good standalone movie. We picked up and did what we do with a different crew on deck and gave it our best shot.”
Fraser continued, “But the one I wanted to make is forthcoming. And I’ve been waiting 20 years for this call. Sometimes it was loud, sometimes it was a faint telegraph. Now? It’s time to give the fans what they want.”
Rachel Weisz and Brendan Fraser in 2001’s ‘The Mummy Returns’
Universal/courtesy Everett Collection
Earlier this month, Deadline reported that Radio Silence’s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett will direct the upcoming movie from a script by David Coggeshall (The Family Plan films, The Deliverance), with franchise veteran Sean Daniel to produce alongside William Sherak, James Vanderbilt and Paul Neinstein of Project X Entertainment.
Fraser and Weisz starred together in The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (2001), with Maria Bello replacing the actress as Evelyn O’Connell in Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.
