Fresh off the release of the film's second feature length trailer, fans of Universal's classic movie monsters are in for the start of a shared Monster Movie Universe with the theatrical release of The Mummy later this June. Directed by Alex Kurtzman (Star Trek Into Darkness) and featuring an original screenplay co-written by Christopher McQuarrie (Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation) and Jon Spaihts (Doctor Strange), the latest iteration of the franchise that was once led by a starring turn from the late Hollywood actor Boris Karloff is all set to shift gears in an entirely new direction.
Effectively putting an end to the 2000s trilogy starring Brendan Fraser, The Mummy reboot will take the Universal franchise to a modern-day setting wherein Tom Cruise finds himself at the center of an archaeological dig gone awry. When Cruise and the rest of his crew unearth the tomb of the ancient Egyptian princess named Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella), a centuries old curse is inexplicably unleashed that seeks to destroy the world as we know it and recast it in the image of Ahmanet herself. The only thing is, the cursed Egyptian isn't the only one with otherworldly powers.
In the latest TV spot featured above, viewers are offered another tantalizing peek behind the curtain of Kurtzman's latest, in addition to a few more candid quips from supporting actor Russell Crowe as Dr. Henry Jekyll. Tossing out a few scant hints toward the ways in which The Mummy will tie into the forthcoming Universal Monster Movie Universe -- including The Wolfman and Bride of Frankenstein -- viewers are also offered their first intimations toward the extent to which the evil inherent to Ahmanet will serve to shape and change Cruise's very being and destiny in subsequent franchise installments.
It's hard to say exactly what kind of impact Universal's bid at establishing its very own cinematic universe will play out, though having the likes of Spaihts as an MCU insider contributing to the script for The Mummy can only bolster the film's reputation as it nears its summer release date. The cast and crew appear to be coming together in a big way in the making of The Mummy, and with any luck its revisionist take on the classic movie monster will help establish Universal's Monster Universe with a bang.
Given the fact that a fourth Brendan Fraser film was scrapped to make way for the latest reboot of The Mummy -- in addition to the apparent cinematic death of the Luke Evans-starring Dracula Untold from 2014 and the soon-to-be-rebooted Hugh Jackman fantasy-romp that was Van Helsing from 2004 -- fans of the Universal property should perhaps take everything that is released ahead of the film's eventual theatrical run with more than a few grains of salt. Universal doesn't have the greatest track record of late when it comes to reinvigorating mainstream interest in its stable of classic movie monsters, but with the likes of Cruise leading the charge, maybe The Mummy will turn that tide.
Next: The Mummy: Tom Cruise’s Zero-G Stunt Took 64 Takes
Source: Universal Pictures