Why The Mummy Franchise Left Egypt For China, According To Brendan Fraser

Bisexuals everywhere have been rejoicing ever since it was announced that "The Mummy 4" is in the works, and both Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz are returning to star in it. With the adventure/romance genre having seemingly fallen out of vogue in the past decade or so, and the "Indiana Jones" franchise essentially over, the return of "The Mummy" (the good version) is more than welcome news. Stephen Sommers' 1999 take on the property remains a near-perfect blockbuster, one with spectacular visuals, a roaring score, grand adventure, and off-the-charts chemistry between its two leads. It's funny, it's thrilling, it's sexy as hell, and it rules.

Unfortunately, the franchise suffered from diminishing returns after that. 2001's "The Mummy Returns," though still fun, gave rise to Dwayne Johnson's acting career (a net negative, "Fast Five" notwithstanding) and the disastrous prequel "The Scorpion King." Then there's 2008's "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor," a horrendously bad movie that thought no one would notice Rachel Weisz was no longer part of these movies, with poor visuals, a dull story, and an absolute waste of Michelle Yeoh and Jet Li.

It's no secret that "Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" was heavily marketed for and catered to Chinese audiences. Indeed, it was part of a wave of Hollywood films that shoehorned-in subplots centered around Chinese characters or settings in an effort to appeal to the newly-booming market (something movies like "Iron Man 3" did to mixed results).

As Fraser recounted to the Associated Press, the main reason the third "Mummy" film traded an Egyptian mummy for a Chinese warlord was to try and capitalize on the 2008 Beijing Olympics. "NBC had the rights to broadcast the Olympics that year. So, they put two together and we went to China," Fraser explained.

Fraser was polite when it came to his thoughts on the third "Mummy" film, saying "We picked up and did what we do with a different crew on deck and gave it our best shot. But the one I wanted to make is forthcoming."

In the past, Fraser has spoken plainly about the physical wear and tear he suffered while filming "Tomb of the Dragon Emperor." As he told GQ in 2018, "I was put together with tape and ice." Multiple injuries and a preference for doing his own stunts had taken a toll on the actor, and it showed in the movie. "[I wore] screw-cap ice packs and downhill-mountain-biking pads, 'cause they're small and light and they can fit under your clothes," he recalled. "I was building an exoskeleton for myself daily."

It appears "The Mummy 4" will do what most people already do and simply pretend "Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" never happened, with the sequel (which is being directed by "Ready or Not" and "Scream VI" duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett from a script by David Coggeshall, the writer of the excellent "Orphan Kills") being described as a direct sequel to "The Mummy Returns." And given that "Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" replaced Weisz, it makes all the more sense to try and forget about it when she returns to play Evy.

Moreover, after Tom Cruise singlehandedly started and killed the Dark Universe (never forget) with 2017's "The Mummy," it appears the classic Universal property is back in the public consciousness. In addition to "The Mummy 4," "Evil Dead Rise" director Lee Cronin has also been tapped to reboot "The Mummy" for Blumhouse and New Line Cinema. That's right, we're getting a Mummy-off.