Maria Bello Cast As Rachel Weisz: Proof That The Mummy Has Jumped The Shark

When a guy named Jon Hein first coined the term "Jump the Shark" he discovered that a bunch of television shows began to "suck" when one of the lead actors was replaced (for instince, Becky from Roseanne). The audiences hate this sort of thing, almost to the point that they feel insulted. So when Rachel Weisz announced that she would not be returning for The Mummy 3, I just assumed like most other people, that the story would be cut to exclude her character. Word had leaked that the script would be formed into more of a father son story. Apparently not.

Maria Bello has been cast to replace Rachel Weisz as Evelyn Carnahan O'Connell in the upcoming third film. Maria Bello's filmography includes A History of Violence, World Trade Center, and Coyote Ugly. Do they actually believe they can replace an Academy Award winning actress from the girl who did Coyote Ugly?

The new film will focus on the O'Connells (Brendan Fraser and Bello) and their son (Luke Ford) as they journey into the forbidden tombs of China and the Himalayas, where they come face to face with a shape-shifting mummy of a former Chinese emperor (played by Jet Li) cursed by a wizard (played by Michelle Yeoh). And how bad does that plot sound?

Shooting is expected to begin in late July.