After making everyone in 2023 collectively vow to never look at a cheese grater the same way again, Evil Dead Rise director Lee Cronin is back to ruin a different set of childhood memories.
Having turned a $147 million profit on demonic family trauma, Cronin has been handed the keys to the tomb. His latest project, The Mummy, is officially haunting theaters now—and if you’re expecting a charming rogue in a linen shirt or a CGI Brendan Fraser, you’re looking in the wrong sarcophagus.
Unwrapping the New Nightmare
Revealed in late 2024 as a complete reimagining of the classic monster, Cronin’s take promises to be “unlike any Mummy movie you’ve ever laid eyeballs on.” Given his track record, those eyeballs will likely be lucky to stay in their sockets.
“I’m digging deep into the earth to raise something very ancient and very frightening,” Cronin teased. Translation: prepare for a lot of dirt, very little sleep, and zero slapstick.
The Cast of Casualties
The film centers on Jack Reynor as Charlie Cannon, a journalist who probably should have stuck to local politics. Laia Costa joins him as his wife, while Natalie Grace plays their missing daughter, Katie. Rounding out the family are Shylo Molina and Billie Roy.
The ensemble also features May Calamawy and Verónica Falcón in mystery roles—though in a Lee Cronin film, “mystery role” is usually code for “person who experiences something deeply unpleasant in a tight space.”
The Dream (Scream) Team
Cronin isn’t venturing into the crypt alone. He’s brought back the heavy hitters from Evil Dead Rise to ensure the atmosphere is suitably suffocating: David Garbett (Cinematography): The man who knows exactly how to make shadows look predatory. There’s Stephen McKeon (Composer), returning to provide the sonic equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. And Bryan Shaw (Editor), a franchise veteran whose credits include both the 2013 Evil Dead reboot and Ash vs. Evil Dead.
From Karloff to Carnage
The Mummy has been a staple of the Universal lineup since Boris Karloff first donned the bandages in 1932. The original run lasted until 1955, concluding with the slightly less terrifying Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy.
While the franchise has seen various reboots over the decades, Cronin’s version aims to strip away the adventure-pulp layers and return the character to its roots: a terrifying, ancient force that really, really doesn’t want to be disturbed.
The Mummy is in theaters now. Pack your own bandages.
