Recently, the news came that Brendan Fraser would be reprising his role of former French Foreign Legion soldier Rick O’Connell alongside Rachel Weisz as English Egyptologist Evelyn Carnahan for a new entry in “The Mummy” franchise.
The pair played the parts across the original 1999 film and 2001’s “The Mummy Returns”. Fraser returned solo for the third film in 2008, “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,” which shifted the action to China.
Speaking with AP News this week while promoting his new film “Rental Family,” Fraser was asked about the fourth Mummy and if he ever thought it would happen. He reveals that the story for the new one was what he had hoped to originally make as the third film:
“The one I wanted to make was never made. The third one was a model of … how can I say this to the AP reporter? NBC had the rights to broadcast the Olympics that year. So they put two together and we went to China.
Working in Shanghai, an incredible experience. I’m proud of the third one because I think it’s a good standalone movie. 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. And I’ve been waiting 20 years for this call. Sometimes it was loud, sometimes it was a faint telegraph. Now? It’s time to give the fans what they want.”
Radio Silence’s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are directing the film but plot details are under wraps. Both the original two films, directed by Stephen Sommers, grossed over $400 million worldwide. Sean Daniel, William Sherak, James Vanderbilt, and Paul Neinstein will produce.
