Brendan Fraser, the once-beloved star ofUniversal Pictures' 1999The Mummyreboot, has said that he would “be open to” doing a fourth film if he was asked, and he gave his unfiltered thoughts on Tom Cruise’s take on the material.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s,The Mummyand its sequelThe Mummy Returnswere cultural milestones of sorts, both grossing over $400 million and launching Fraser to instant fame. It has now been 14 years since the last film in the series, and given Fraser’s rediscovered success withThe Whale, some are starting to ask if it could be time to resurrectThe Mummyone more time.
RELATED:10 Best Brendan Fraser Movies
In an interview withVariety, Fraser was asked if he would consider returning for anotherMummymovie. “I don’t know how it would work,” he admits. “But I’d be open to it if someone came up with the right conceit.” Fraser also commented on Universal’s recent failed attempt to reboot the old franchise withCruise’sThe Mummyfilmin 2017. “It is hard to make that movie,” he said. “The ingredient that we had going for our Mummy, which I didn’t see in that film, was fun. That was what was lacking in that incarnation. It was too much of a straight-ahead horror movie.The Mummyshould be a thrill ride, but not terrifying and scary.”
Fraser concluded by saying, “I know how difficult it is to pull it off. I tried to do it three times.” Stephen Sommers, the director of 1999’sTheMummy, also said in a statement that the reason they cast Fraser for the leading role was because “He could throw a punch and take a punch and he had a great sense of humor. You really like the guy. He never comes across as cocky or arrogant.” He went on to praise Fraser for doing many of his own stunts, saying, “He was game for anything we threw at him.”
AfterThe Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperorin 2008, Fraser largely disappeared from public life. The actor’s repeated physical injuries from his stunt work had taken a toll on his body, and an incident in which he was sexually assaulted left him traumatized. For over a decade, he took no major roles until he decided to star inDarren Aronofsky’sThe Whale, a drama about an obese father struggling to repair his damaged relationship with his daughter.
Fraser’s triumphant return to the big screen, in one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year, has for many fans rekindled fond memories of his short-lived mega-stardom. This is almost guaranteed to perk up Universal Studios' ears, as they’ve been desperate to reboot their classic horror properties likeThe Mummy,Dracula, andFrankenstein, and there seems to be genuine popular interest in Fraser. There’s even talk that he could earn a Best Actor nomination for his performance inThe Whale. Although he’s unlikely to clinch a win, given the strong support forAustin Butler’sElvisperformance, the critical and popular love for Fraser means that his return to the blockbusterMummyfranchise isn’t so far-fetched.
