There is a curse that besets the world of cinema. It’s one that has existed since the early days, but has grown more prevalent as we dig past the first quarter of this fascinating 21st century. Only existing off the life of what came before it, rarely does it come into its own being.
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Dead, but undying, this blight of the big screen is called the “Remake”, and its curse is upon us all. The original intention was to retell a classic story from a fresh perspective while utilizing more updated technology to reach a new audience, but still capturing the essence of the original film.
Very seldom should it be used, and only for films that are a little more separated from modern times. It’s safe to say that this ideal has been gutted, embalmed, wrapped in layers of bandages, and buried in a tomb beneath the decaying hills of Hollywood never to be disturbed.
Now, those greedy, creatively bankrupt ghouls are heading back to a well that’s dryer than the desert sands.
First announced by The Hollywood Reporter, it has been confirmed that Lee Cronin (Evil Dead Rise) will be writing and directing a new take on The Mummy for New Line Cinema. It’s still unclear what the “House that Freddy built” actually means by a “new take”, but that’s generally the point of a remake.
So far, the movie’s plot details are being kept under tight wraps, and hidden from public sight, but Cronin uttered a few maledictions to the THR about the ancient evil he has in store for a market that’s brimming over with retreads.
“This will be unlike any Mummy movie you ever laid eyeballs on before,” Cronin assured anyone who cares. “I’m digging deep into the earth to raise something very ancient and very frightening,”
Whether that translates into being watchable or not remains to be seen. However, it’s looking grim for everyone’s favorite sauntering stiff from Horror’s Golden Age.
Helping fund the production is none other than the balefully banal bunch at Blumhouse (Imaginary, The Exorcist: Believer, 2020’s The Invisible Man), and that’s never a good sign. The company made it official on Friday with a post on their Instagram.
The Mummy first came back to life in 1932 with the great Boris Karloff as the titular character, and the film was a success. Hammer put their English spin on it with their 1959 release starring horror icons Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.
Universal would unearth their creation for an action/adventure in 1999 with Chazz Darby from Airheads, and I personally think that most people would rather forget about their failed reboot in 2017 with Tom Cruise.
In the meantime, New Line’s Mummy is expected to be released on April 17th, 2026.
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