The Mummy: A reboot that was supposed to launch a vast extended universe
In 2017, Universal unveils The Mummy, a new film starring the Egyptian creature, worn by superstar Tom Cruise. With an estimated budget of around $190 million, this blockbuster was supposed to launch Dark Universe, an ambitious Universal Pictures project aimed at creating a shared cinematic universe which would reunite the classic monsters from the studio’s golden era.
For an entire generation of viewers, this feature film, directed by Alex Kurtzman, was a remake of the cult saga released in the late 90s starring Brendan Fraser (who also talked about this remake). And unfortunately it wasn’t as successful.
In fact, The Mummy it grossed $410 million worldwide. While this figure is not negligible, it must be put into perspective with the film’s huge budget, estimated to be approximately $190 million, excluding considerable marketing costs. The revenues were therefore not sufficient to generate the profit expected by Universal, especially on the North American market where the film did not meet with the hoped-for success (only 80 million dollars).
The director was deeply affected by the film’s failure
The film was widely criticized for its lack of clear direction, attempting to mix elements of action, adventure and horror without managing to create a satisfying coherence. Critics have also pointed out that the plot is confusing and overloaded, with the apparent aim of laying the foundation for the Dark Universe. rather than focusing on a solid story and engaging. Even the presence of superstar Tom Cruise wasn’t enough to excite the audience.
The Dark Universe was supposed to be a cinematic universe competing with those of Marvel and DC, bringing together iconic characters from Universal horror films such as Dracula, Frankenstein, the Invisible Man and, of course, the Mummy. The success of The Mummy it was supposed to open the door to many more interconnected films. However, the film’s failure exposed the weaknesses of a strategy based on hastily creating a shared universe without first ensuring the individual success of its component films.
Alex Kurtzman, the film’s director, stated in 2022 that he was deeply affected by this debacle, which was “one of the greatest failures” of his life, “both personally and professionally”.
Source: Cine Serie
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