THE MUMMY 4 Officially Titled THE MUMMY: THE BOOK OF THE DEAD With Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz
Rick and Evie O’Connell are heading back into action, and their next adventure finally has an official title! Universal Pictures has revealed that The Mummy 4 will be called The Mummy: The Book of the Dead, bringing Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz back together for another round of ancient curses, supernatural threats, and hopefully plenty of the adventure and humor that made the original movies so much fun.
The film is set to hit theaters on October 15, 2027, and while Universal is keeping the story under wraps, the title certainly suggests that the O’Connells will be dealing with some seriously dangerous ancient Egyptian magic.
The Egyptian Book of the Dead was a collection of ancient funerary texts containing spells, prayers, and instructions meant to guide the deceased through the afterlife. Dating back to around 1550 BCE, these writings were often placed in tombs to help the dead overcome supernatural obstacles, face judgment before the gods, and achieve eternal life.
Despite its name, the Book of the Dead wasn't a single book, but a collection of texts that evolved over centuries. Considering the franchise's history with resurrected mummies and ancient curses, it's easy to imagine how the filmmakers could have some fun bringing elements of these beliefs into Rick and Evie's next adventure.
Fraser and Weisz are reprising their roles as Rick and Evie O’Connell, with John Hannah, Michael Johnston, Numan Acar, Kevin J. O’Connor, and Oded Fehr also joining the cast.
It's especially exciting to see Weisz returning to the franchise. She starred alongside Fraser in 1999’s The Mummy and its 2001 sequel, The Mummy Returns, but didn't return for 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Having the original Rick and Evie back together is a big part of what makes this fourth movie worth getting excited about.
The original film followed adventurer Rick O’Connell as he became caught up in the resurrection of a cursed Egyptian priest, delivering a great mix of action, horror, comedy, and old-school adventure. Its success launched a franchise that also included the 2002 spinoff The Scorpion King, starring Dwayne Johnson.
Directing the new movie are Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the filmmaking duo known as Radio Silence. They previously directed the awesome 2019 horror thriller Ready or Not and helped bring the Scream franchise back to theaters in 2022.
Their experience balancing horror, humor, and bloody chaos makes them an interesting choice for The Mummy. The original films worked because they knew how to have fun with their monsters and characters, so hopefully Radio Silence can capture some of that same energy.
The screenplay comes from David Coggeshall, whose previous credits include The Family Plan and Orphan: First Kill.
Longtime franchise producer Sean Daniel is also returning, having been involved with the previous five Mummy films, including the 2017 reboot starring Tom Cruise.
That reboot was supposed to launch Universal's interconnected Dark Universe, but its disappointing reception and box office performance brought those plans to an abrupt end. Now the studio is returning to the characters and actors who helped make the franchise a hit in the first place.
There's still plenty we don't know about The Mummy: The Book of the Dead, particularly what kind of supernatural trouble Rick and Evie will find themselves facing this time.
But getting Fraser and Weisz back together for another Mummy adventure is already a great reason to be interested. The chemistry between these two was a huge part of the original films' appeal, and it'll be fun to see how their characters have changed after all these years.
Here's hoping Universal delivers the kind of entertaining, monster-filled adventure that made us fall in love with this franchise back in 1999.
The Mummy: The Book of the Dead opens in theaters on October 15, 2027.