An interesting phenomenon occurs as the credits roll for each installment of The Mummy franchise. From the moment they leave cinemas, fans commence clamoring for the next installment. Aware of this by the time they’d wrapped the third installment, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, in 2008, the production team immediately began preparations for another launch.
It was titled The Mummy: Rise of the Aztec. Fraser, Bello, Hannah, and Ford were named as the actors of that sequel. And Antonio Banderas would play the antagonist. What a lineup! But after all the preparations and excitement, Universal Studios canceled the film, waiting until 2017 to release a reboot. It was quite a long wait for the fans.
Poor O’Connor
Fate appears to have had it in for Kevin J. O’Connor during the filming of The Mummy. His ego in particular took a bit of a battering. Aside from being snubbed by all the camels, O’Connor experienced some dramas on-set that hit a little closer to home.
His character, Beni, took a bit of a beating in the Egyptologist’s office. Unfortunately, Beni’s pain wasn’t all just good acting on O’Connor’s part. While shooting that scene, the poor guy was genuinely injured. He suffered bruising and had to be brought to medical attention... to have his nipples iced. Unfortunately, no amount of ice can soothe a bruised ego.
The Trick
In this modern day and age, we all know how green screens work, right? For The Mummy actors, they were a newly evolving technology and no-one was yet used to working with them for the majority of filming. Under these new constraints, it was difficult for the actors to have a feel for where they were, and the action that was going on around them.
Accessing the requisite emotions to achieve an outstanding scene was a challenge. So, the crew devised an awkward scheme to draw the terror and dread they needed from the actors. Photos of Arnold Vosloo in full, CGI-enhanced mummy get-up were displayed for the actors. While their methods were old-school, they did seem to do the trick!
Tired Sommers
Another announcement in November 2011 shocked The Mummy fans. Stephen Sommers spread around the possibility of him directing a third Mummy film, thanks to consistent pressure from the public. Sommers had his doubts though. “Most of the gang would only be up for it again if we could find a way to make it bigger and better,” he said.
Of course, everyone would anticipate an upgrade—something they have never seen before. Three years later, Sommers felt that his energy had been wiped out by the first three films. The cast was already up for the project, but how could they push it through if their fearless leader had lost his enthusiasm?
Spinoffs
It wasn’t surprising that sequels and spin-offs were inspired by and created after The Mummy. Both of the official sequels—The Mummy Returns and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor—enjoyed a strong reception in the cinemas.
This influenced many filmmakers to create their own adventures in the genre. Some attempts to recreate the magic of The Mummy, included an animated series, and a spin-off prequel, entitled The Scorpion King. With a star-studded cast seeming to be one of the prerequisites for Mummy-related success, The Scorpion King featured none other than Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.