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The first trailer for director Lee Cronin’s new take on The Mummy is here, and it shows off a story that is a far cry from the parallel Brendan Fraser-led adventure franchise. Focused far more on actual horror, Cronin’s The Mummy takes its cues from the current tropes of the genre, with a story that seems reminiscent of recent hit Bring Her Back, reinventing the Mummy as a young girl.
Here’s the trailer:
“The young daughter of a journalist disappears into the desert without a trace,” reads the film’s IMDb logline. “Eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare.”
Like I said, there are definite Bring Her Back vibes here, a movie which is all about a desperate mother using forbidden magic to resurrect her daughter. There’s an Egyptian twist of course, drawing on the much mythologized concept of actual ancient mummies.
Lee Cronin’s The Mummy (the official full title) has no connection to the beloved Brendan Fraser/Rachel Weisz franchise which is also getting a revival in the form of a new sequel. Cronin’s film is the second attempt to reboot The Mummy with a new horror-focused franchise in the last 10 years, following 2017’s ill-fated Tom Cruise-starring remake.
In both cases, the films call back to the original 1932 version of The Mummy, one of the most well-known Universal horror movies alongside Dracula, the Wolfman, and the Gill-man from The Creature From the Black Lagoon.
Lee Cronin’s The Mummy has courted controversy, with producer and veteran horror director James Wan reportedly walking out of an advance screening. Combined with some confusion over the use of The Mummy as a title, there are reasons to be skeptical of the film.
We’ll get to see for ourselves when the movie hits theaters on April 17. For more, stay up to date on all the upcoming horror movies you need to know about.