The Mummy 4 is officially moving forward with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz reprising their roles as Rick and Evelyn O’Connell, nearly two decades after The Mummy Returns. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett of Radio Silence confirmed in recent interviews that filming is expected to begin in August 2026, with a theatrical release set for May 19, 2028. This marks Universal’s pivot away from the failed 2017 Dark Universe reboot toward legacy sequels built on beloved franchises.
Key Takeaways
- The Mummy 4 reunites Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz as Rick and Evelyn O’Connell.
- Filming begins August 2026; theatrical release scheduled for May 19, 2028.
- Radio Silence directors (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett) describe the script as beautiful, scary, and sweeping.
- The Mummy 4 retcons The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), ignoring that film’s canon.
- Universal is abandoning the 2017 Dark Universe model in favor of grounded monster legacy sequels.
What We Know About The Mummy 4 Script and Direction
The Mummy 4 script has already earned approval from its stars. Tyler Gillett told Collider that Fraser and Weisz would not commit to a project unless they genuinely loved the material, and both actors have signed on after reading it. Gillett described the screenplay as “really, really beautiful and scary and sweeping, and it’s awesome,” signaling a tone that honors the original adventure-horror blend while taking the story in fresh directions. The directors have positioned this as a proper continuation rather than a reboot, building on the chemistry and mythology established in the first two films.
Radio Silence has built a reputation for balancing horror and dark humor through projects like Ready or Not 2, a sensibility that could reshape how The Mummy 4 handles its supernatural threats and action sequences. The shift from the bombastic Dark Universe approach to a more grounded, character-driven legacy sequel reflects Universal’s broader strategy after the Tom Cruise-led The Mummy (2017) failed to launch a shared monster cinematic universe. Instead of interconnected franchises, Universal is betting on standalone sequels that respect the original IP and its fanbase.
The Mummy 4 Retcons Tomb of the Dragon Emperor—Here’s Why That Matters
The Mummy 4 effectively erases The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor from canon. When asked whether Rachel Weisz’s character Evelyn would return despite her death in the 2008 film, Bettinelli-Olpin simply replied, “Well, Rachel is in this one,” with Gillett following up: “That should answer the question for you”. This retcon is significant because Tomb of the Dragon Emperor remains divisive among franchise fans, and bringing back both Fraser and Weisz signals that Universal is building on the beloved first two films rather than acknowledging the third.
By ignoring the 2008 sequel, The Mummy 4 avoids the tonal inconsistencies and character arcs that made Tomb of the Dragon Emperor controversial. Instead, it can chart its own narrative path while preserving the emotional stakes and chemistry between Rick and Evelyn that made The Mummy Returns resonate with audiences. This is a deliberate creative choice that shows the filmmakers understand what fans actually want from a legacy sequel.
When The Mummy 4 Hits Theaters and What Comes Before
The Mummy 4 will not arrive until May 19, 2028, giving Universal and Radio Silence nearly two years from the August 2026 filming start to complete post-production. Before then, audiences will encounter a different mummy film: Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, a Warner Bros. horror reimagining starring Jack Reynor, scheduled for release on April 17, 2026. That film operates in a completely separate universe with no connection to the Fraser-Weisz saga, serving as a grounded horror alternative rather than a legacy sequel.
The staggered release strategy allows Universal to test audience appetite for mummy-themed content without cannibalizing The Mummy 4’s box office potential. By 2028, the nostalgia factor for the original Mummy trilogy will have intensified, and the two-year gap gives Radio Silence room to craft something genuinely ambitious rather than rushing a legacy sequel to market.
Is The Mummy 4 a Response to the Failed Dark Universe?
Yes. Universal’s 2017 Dark Universe strategy, which kicked off with Tom Cruise’s The Mummy, attempted to build an interconnected monster cinematic universe modeled on the Marvel formula. That approach failed spectacularly, and The Mummy 4 represents a complete strategic reversal. Instead of forcing monster properties into a shared narrative, Universal is now greenlit legacy sequels that stand on their own while respecting the source material.
The Mummy 4 is part of a broader pivot toward grounded monster films like Invisible Man and Wolf Man, but with a crucial difference: it leans into nostalgia and proven chemistry rather than attempting to launch something entirely new. This is a safer bet for a studio that burned significant capital on the Dark Universe experiment, and it explains why Universal moved quickly to lock in Fraser and Weisz once Radio Silence came aboard.
FAQ
Will The Mummy 4 ignore The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor?
Yes. The Mummy 4 retcons Tomb of the Dragon Emperor by bringing Rachel Weisz back as Evelyn despite her character’s death in that 2008 film. The directors confirmed this is intentional, focusing instead on the first two films and their legacy.
When does The Mummy 4 filming begin?
Filming is expected to start in August 2026, with the theatrical release set for May 19, 2028. This gives Radio Silence approximately two years for post-production and visual effects work.
Are there other mummy movies coming out before The Mummy 4?
Yes. Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, a Warner Bros. horror reimagining with Jack Reynor, releases April 17, 2026. That film is completely separate from the Fraser-Weisz saga and operates in its own horror universe.
The Mummy 4 represents Universal’s clearest signal yet that legacy sequels built on genuine affection for source material outperform sprawling cinematic universes. By reuniting Fraser and Weisz under a directorial team known for balancing horror and character, Universal is betting that audiences would rather see a focused, well-crafted continuation than another attempt to build a monster shared universe. If the script lives up to the directors’ hype, that bet could pay off big in 2028.
Edited by the All Things Geek team.
Source: TechRadar
