TMZ.com has learned that Universal Pictures has signed Brendan Fraser to reprise his role of Rick O'Connell in a third installment of "The Mummy" franchise. The movie is being readied to begin shooting early next year, says the site.
The studio has apparently made an offer to Joe Johnston (Hidalgo, Jurassic Park III) to direct. Stephen Sommers wrote and directed the first two films. "Smallville" creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar are penning the new film.
The site says that the project will be a reimagining of the first two films, so we'll have to see whether Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo or Oded Fehr will be back as well.
The star is back. A hot team of sequel scribes have turned in their script. The same producers are producing.
But for the love of Ra, please: Don't call it a sequel.
At least, that's the thinking at Universal Pictures, where the third installation of "The Mummy" is being readied to begin shooting early next year. TMZ has learned that Brendan Fraser has already agreed to return, but in a twist that reveals how high stakes the franchise movie business has become, the studio has actually promised potential directors that it won't be called "The Mummy 3."
Why?
Well, for starters, Sumner Redstone may have drubbed "Mission: Impossible 3" for coming up $150 million short in box office thanks to Tom Cruise's off-screen effectuation of "creative suicide," but the truth is, any movie with a number in its title begins its life with the press and the public betting against it creatively.
"Superman 5"? A tired retread. "Superman Returns"? Count me in!
And if a studio waits too long between tentpole releases, as some speculate Paramount might have done with "Mission: Impossible 3 " and you can wind up on the wrong side of a demographic shift: Universal's original "Mummy" debuted in 1999, nearly eight years ago. The high school freshman who was popping zits on the night of its premiere is now looking for his first job out of college.
None of this has been lost on the folks at Universal, who hired "Smallville" creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar to reimagine the Stephen Sommers epic for a new generation that's never even heard of "The Mummy."
Currently, Universal has made an offer to Joe Johnston ("Hidalgo, "October Sky") a protege of George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg, to direct. He's not likely to do it, insiders familiar with the talks say, because "Joe's not a sequel guy."
Huh? Then why did Johnston direct "Jurassic Park III" and, why Joe he attached to "Jurassic Park IV"?
"Um, Steven Spielberg?" comes the staccato reply.
You see, sequels, unless they're produced by Steven Spielberg, are for suckers.
"The Mummy 3"? It's not a sequel, people. It's not even a trilogy. It's a reimagining.
The first one was different and refreshing. In my opinion it is probably the best remake ever to be made, along with The Thing. The second one left me disappointed. It seemed like it just redid all the things that made the first one great. Don't even get me started on The Scorpion King.
When I first heard about this I thought "Oh God, not another crappy sequel to make a few bucks off a series that should have ended after the first one." The reimagining part is what caught my interest. Instead of dragging on a dead series they're just going to give it a whole new go at it. There's nothing, yet, to suggest whether this will be good or bad. But I know that at least I will be looking forward to seeing more news on this.
If there are multiple pages please read the last page or two, or just ask, to see what has developed over time.
Cool deal, I loved the first one, and Returns wasn't all that bad, I like the character or Rick, I just hope they get the same actor for his brother in law John again, his comedic relief helps the movies an awful lot.
I hope in this version O'Conner has bit more Indiana Jones humor to him. I know they tried to base him off of Indy but they never quite got the humor right. There was one scene that would have been perfect for an Indy-esque line. When O'Conner is running from the horsemen in the opening of The Mummy and Beni closes the door after he says "Don't you close that door!" Indiana Jones would have said "He closed the door."
O'Conner has the action part of Indy in him. Just doesn't quite have the humor.
I think it has potential. I liked the first one, and the second one was really cool, too. This one could go either way. I'll go with "cautious optomism."
They made a big mistake getting him married and having a kid in the second one, I would rather he be the action hero who gets the girl in the end, then she dies in the beginning of the next one, ala James Bond.
I liked that actually. It made him relatable. Cause I'm one of those guys who wants a serious relationship, not just the chick, so to see him get married and stuff was like "aww.... I wanna be like him someday. Now I can relate." Hmm.... that may explain why I hate 007 movies.
I didn't like Returns because it seemed that Mummy ended a little too perfectly. I mean they have this huge house, intelligent child, the Bembridge (?) Scholars are just begging for her to work for them. It seemed too unrealistic, beyond the ancient curse and all that.
I don't think we need another Mummy movie, they said enough with the other 2, not that I didn't like them, I agree it was the best remake, with The Thing ofcourse.
I don't think we need another Mummy movie, they said enough with the other 2, not that I didn't like them, I agree it was the best remake, with The Thing ofcourse.
With the recent unofficial announcement that Brendan Fraser has signed to play Rick O'Connell again in a third installment of "The Mummy" franchise, fans were left wondering if his co-star, Rachel Weisz, would return as well.
EcranLarge.com (why Comingsoon.net linked a Spanish site I have no idea) caught up with Weisz at the Deauville 32nd American Film Festival to ask about her status. "I know there's a new script but I haven't read it yet. Nothing's definite yet and should the film be done, it's probably going to happen next summer. And if so, I would definitely like to be in it," she said.
"Smallville" creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar are writing the reimagining of the first two films. An offer is out to director Joe Johnston (Hidalgo, Jurassic Park III) to helm.
Whatever they do, I hope they leave Imhotep dead and buried. He was a great villain in both movies......but damn, was he the only priest in all of Egypt?!?!?! Egyptian culture predates damn near everything on the planet.....find another character!
Now don't get me wrong, Arnold Vosloo was bad ass as Imhotep, but a Reimagining doesn't have to be a Rehashing.
The only part I hated in the Mummy Returns was the CGI they used for the Scorpion KIng, it looked REALLY fake. At least the rest of the CGI was actually really good.
Other then that, I don't mind seeing a 3rd movie, seeing as I was pleasently surprised by how much the enjoyed the previous ones.
I agree. Scorpion King looked retarded. Especially his little smile, or grin, or smirk, or w/e it was. it was lame and should've been discouraged. I saw no point to it other than "omg! It's The Rock!" which we all knew anyways.
The Mummy is one of the best true action movies made in the last 10 years. The second was lackluster, but that's because it didn't focus on Brendan Fraiser but that asshole kid. I have high hopes for the 3rd.
well, it was one of his best films in my opinion. But you do have a point about everyone getting excited about it despite only knowing the above which doesnt amount to much. If it is a remake of the first movie, it's FAR too early. Maybe a prequel to the The Mummy? Like it ends when he ends up in prision, but starts well before the battle at the city of the dead where benni ditches him. Maybe its the tale of how his battalion ends up there?
Rob Cohen is in talks with Universal Pictures to direct the third installment of "The Mummy" franchise. The film, targeted for a 2008 release, was written by "Smallville" creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar.
Though no deals are in place for franchise stars Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz to return, both actors have had discussions about reprising their roles.
Stephen Sommers helmed the first two "Mummy" installments which after being released in 1999 and 2001 earned a combined worldwide gross of $849 million.
Producing the third film are Sommers and Bob Ducsay through the Sommers Co. as well as Sean Daniel and Jim Jacks via the Sean Daniel Co.
Cohen has directed two previous films for Universal, including The Fast and the Furious and The Skulls. He has also directed XXX for Revolution and Stealth for Sony.
In addition to a third "Mummy," the studio has also been keen to develop Meet the Little Focker and a remake of the The Wolf Man and last year it purchased Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy 2: The Golden Army out of turnaround from Sony and Revolution.
Well i dnt know. Personally i liked Cohen's films (but Stealth? not so much) but i dnt think Cohen is the type of director for action/adventure movies. Why can't we get the guy who directed National Treasure? That one was pretty good. John Tutrletaub i think his name was. I still dnt know what to think about this movie. Although i did like the other 2. And yes the only bad stuff from Returns was the bad CGI for the Scorpion King.
SCI FI Wire talked to Al Gough, who is co-writing the third "Mummy" film with partner Miles Millar for director Rob Cohen and Universal Pictures. Gough revealed that the story will involve the grown son of Rick (Brendan Fraser) and Evie (Rachel Weisz). You'll be seeing a new mummy as well.
"We figured out a really good family story with Rick and Evie, and [their son] Alex is now grown up. So it's really interesting." Alex was played as a young boy in 2001's The Mummy Returns by Freddie Boath.
He added that Fraser and Weisz are in talks to return. They are expected to start shooting this summer for a summer 2008 release. Visit the link above for more of the interview.
Al Gough, who is co-writing the third installment in the Mummy film franchise with partner Miles Millar, told SCI FI Wire that the sequel will unwrap a new mummy and feature a character who is the grown son of Rick and Evie (played in the previous films by Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz). It's aiming to shoot this summer under director Rob Cohen (Stealth) for a 2008 release.
Gough and Millar, who also created The CW's Smallville, said the sequel will also have a new concept. "Stephen Sommers [who wrote and directed the previous two films] and his partner, Bob Ducsay, ... approached us and said, 'Steve doesn't want to write the third movie. Would you guys be interested?'" Gough said in an interview. "And we were like, 'Well, it's a third.' But then they had a concept for it that we really liked. They had an idea for the movie, which is something we always wanted to do. So we're like, 'Well, if we don't do it, they're going to do it in this movie.'"
Gough said that he and Millar added their own ideas to the script, including a storyline centering on the main characters of Rick and Evie. "We figured out a really good family story with Rick and Evie, and [their son] Alex is now grown up. So it's really interesting." Alex was played as a young boy in 2001's The Mummy Returns by Freddie Boath.
As for whether Fraser and Weisz will reprise their roles in the film, Gough said that he was confident the script is good enough to persuade them to return. "They're in negotiations," he said. "So the plan is to bring them back. I think it'll end up being Brendan and Rachel, ultimately. They're the core of the movie. That's why people love the Mummy movies. And then it's taking that and then expanding it and introducing [a] new character and a new mummy. So we're really excited to get going. We met with Rob Cohen today, and he's really jazzed to do it. So fingers crossed, God willing, we'll be shooting this summer and it'll be out in the summer of '08."
Playback reports that Universal Pictures has selected Montreal for the location to shoot The Mummy 3, to be directed by Rob Cohen. Here are several clips from the article:
After bypassing la belle province because of its labor woes, the producers of the US$100-million Universal feature The Mummy 3 have changed their minds, and are now set to shoot the horror/adventure sequel in Montreal, says Hans Fraikin, head of the Quebec Film and Television Council.
"That Mummy 3 is back is wonderful for the industry. It's great that the government reacted so quickly to resolve this dispute," says Michel Trudel of the Cité du Cinéma studio, where the big-budget American flick is set to shoot, though a start date has not been confirmed.
The third installment, with no confirmed cast yet, is scheduled for a July 11, 2008 release.
