Hop on a camel, grab some reading material, and prepare to have a very good time! The Mummy emerged into theaters in 1999 as a definitive swashbuckling blockbuster experience and this spring, it is hitting theaters once more just in time for its 25th anniversary.
The Mummy stars Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, and Arnold Vosloo as the titular Mummy brought inadvertently back to life after adventurers disrupt his tomb—and bring his curse down upon Egypt. The Mummy made its original theatrical release on May 7, 1999 and received mixed reviews but was a definitive commercial success, earning $416.4 million worldwide, opposite a budget of $80 million.
Theaters nationwide will show The Mummy starting on April 26, bringing a dose of nostalgia for returning viewers and introducing a new generation to the quirky, adventurous original. “Over the past twenty-five years, The Mummy has become a cornerstone of adventure cinema and has set the bar high for blockbuster entertainment,” said Jim Orr, president of domestic theatrical distribution for Universal Pictures, in a press release.
He went on, “As we celebrate its 25th anniversary, we couldn’t be more thrilled to bring it back to the big screen. It’s a fantastic opportunity for both devoted fans and newcomers to immerse themselves in the exhilarating adventure and timeless story that made The Mummy an unforgettable cinematic experience.”
Get back on the right side of the river
Fans of The Mummy will have a week to check it out in theaters for an experience unlike any other at the end of April. Outlets such as Fandango offer a chance to see if any theaters near you are participating. According to SyFy, online tickets for The Mummy are officially up for purchase as well, and movie-goers may also already see trailers for the 25th-anniversary screening when they hit the theaters now for other films.
The Mummy was a perfect storm of the right ingredients and chaotic circumstances eventually fell into place after a lot of trial and error. Development required years and had something of a revolving door of directors and screenplays attached to it. It was the version by Stephen Sommers, which emphasized the adventurous and romantic aspects of the story, that won the day. He was against recreating the original The Mummy from 1932 starring Boris Karloff and so kept the horror elements limited.
But the fear factor found other ways of creeping up. When shooting in the Sahara Desert, the crew faced dust storms, dehydration, and even snakes. During a scene when Fraser’s character was hanged, Fraser himself nearly passed out. Fraser also brought a unique skill to the table; he had the uncanny ability to recreate his motions exactly, which greatly helped the special effects team blend live-action and CGI scenes together.
Although the final product had critic Roger Ebert saying “There is hardly a thing I can say in its favor,” he also proudly said he was “cheered by nearly every minute of it” and that “I was not bored and sometimes I was unreasonably pleased.” As for longtime fans, they are flooding the trailer with comments reminiscing how they don’t make films like they used to, and for some, this is still their favorite adventure film to date.
