There have been a great many renditions of the Mummy over the decades. More recently, however, the iconic movie monster has been pivoted more into the arena of comedy and action rather than leaning into the scarier side of a powerful being risen from the dead to seek revenge.
Next year, with a release date of 17 April, Lee Cronin hopes to land his rendition of the Mummy squarely back in the horror genre. Starring Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, Verónica Falcón, and May Calamawy, it’ll be the first film since the Hammer Films series up to 1971 for which the title character will be out of Universal’s hands, offering the filmmakers a clean slate.
Even without Universal’s oversight, what does Cronin’s The Mummy need to do to be a success in 2026?
Hyped up as a Horror Hit from Early Doors
Following a very recent trend, the Warner Bros. flick has brought in several well-known horror names to play producers, and will likely include their names heavily in the advertising. This doesn’t always pan out as a mark of quality, to be sure – see the trailers and outcome of The Monkey and Him, for example – but it does show intent.
The Mummy is being produced by Blumhouse Productions and Atomic Monster, meaning that Jason Blum and James Wan will both also plaster their names on it. More importantly, Lee Cronin comes in as the writer-director, having earned acclaim for his work on The Hole in the Ground and Evil Dead Rise – neither of which he produced.
Hearing tell of this team of creatives, fans knew they’d be treated to an all-in horror take on the Mummy again. In June 2025, production wrapped, having been filmed in Ireland. Some behind-the-scenes images and a picture of the Mummy unwrapped were released shortly after this announcement.
With hype increasing for a return for the bandaged monster, Cronin offered a small peek into what the flick will entail. In an interview, Cronin said that it will be unlike any other Mummy movie, saying that he aims to “raise something very ancient and very frightening.”
The Mummy has Some Mixed Competition
Mainstream movie audiences looking to watch 2026’s The Mummy will likely have two distinctly different outings in mind. First, there’s 1999’s The Mummy starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, and John Hannah. This entry remains a classic, perfectly toeing the line between the horror threat, swashbuckling action, and campy comedy.
It expanded into a trilogy with a spin-off on the big screen, though with diminishing returns. However, showcasing its enduring popularity, The Mummy Books of Amun Ra released to become one of the hit slot games of 2021. To this day, it remains a prominent feature despite the continued flow of new Ancient Egyptian slots landing online.
This is The Mummy that most fans will think of with affection, so 2026’s film needs to be very distinct from this. Being an all-in horror should achieve this, even if Fraser told Variety back in 2022 that “The Mummy should be a thrill ride,” and not scary and terrifying. Achieving those last two will be a tall order, but can certainly be done.
The other run out of The Mummy that sticks in the minds of moviegoers is the 2017 film that was meant to kick off Universal’s dark monster universe (it didn’t). Instead, despite its cast and hints at high-octane action and horror, the edgy flick that was essentially a re-skin of a Mission Impossible film flopped immensely at the box office.
It’s tough to say if the bar is rather high or low for the next The Mummy movie, but if Cronin’s effort proves to be well-written, internally consistent, and delves into the horror genre, it could certainly be a success in its own right.
Bloody Flicks 
“and a picture of the Mummy unwrapped were released shortly after this announcement”
Which one?
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