Brendan Fraser may be in the middle of a renaissance, but he's still open to returning to one of his earlier roles. Having previously portrayed Rick O'Connell in The Mummy, Fraser says he's still ready to take on the undead.
The Mummy is an enduring classic these days. Though the film is a remake, some might say that the movie is more well-known than its predecessor today. Fraser has been positive about the idea of The Mummy 4, though nothing is official. The decision to continue the franchise would ultimately be up to Universal Pictures, who owns the rights to the movies.
Fraser, who is currently promoting his film The Whale, was interviewed by Deadline about his career. When asked about the likelihood of returning to The Mummy, Fraser seemed enthusiastic. "I’m not opposed to it, I don’t know an actor who doesn’t want a job," Fraser said. "I don’t think I’ve been this famous and unsalaried at the same time in my professional life, so sign me up!”
Universal has previously attempted to reboot The Mummy with Tom Cruise in the lead role as part of its attempt to build a new Universal Monsters cinematic universe, and it did not go over well. The director of The Mummy reboot considers it the biggest failure of his career. It's probably safe to say that Universal isn't eager to revisit that particular version of The Mummy.
But Fraser's version of The Mummy created its own genre, which many tried and failed to replicate. It was a swashbuckling adventure with no pretensions about being dark or gritty. It simply had fun with the idea of a reawakened mummy in the 20th century. Rachel Weisz and Fraser had undeniable chemistry with one another, and the first two films feature several beloved background characters whose actors deliver delightfully hammy performances.
Even today, some films try to capture that irreverence and fail to do so. Some claim Jungle Cruise desperately wanted to be The Mummy, only to miss the mark. There's something about the Mummy franchise that captures just the right amount of heart, a niche that's been missing in cinematic releases lately. Films tend to stay away from camp these days, instead opting for irony, and a new Mummy film could be just the breath of fresh air audiences need.
The Mummy is available on Amazon Prime Video.
Source: Deadline