The Mummy: Book of the Dead is the official title of the next movie in Brendan Fraser’s beloved action-adventure film franchise.
Universal Pictures confirmed the news on Thursday, October 15, exactly one year out from its release date on October 15, 2027. While this date had already been revealed, Universal stated that it remains the same, with the film still on track to hit theaters this time next year.
Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz are set to return as Rick and Evie O’Connell, alongside other cast members including John Hannah, Michael Johnston, Numan Acar, Kevin J. O’Connor and Oded Fehr. We’ve already seen some of these characters back in action; Fehr shared a look at himself as Ardeth Bay on Instagram back in August, while recent photos taken from set showed Faser and Weisz in full costume reprising their adventures together.
The Mummy: Book of the Dead is being directed by Radio Silence’s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett will direct the film, with David Coggeshall (The Family Plan, Orphan: First Kill) writing the screenplay. Mummy fans will be happy to hear that Sean Daneil is producing, given his long history with the franchise, having produced every single film in the series.
The new movie’s title certainly leaves ample room for speculation as to what its plot will be. Combined with Oded Fehr’s return as Ardeth Bay, it’s looking more likely than ever that Imhotep is back and wreaking havoc once more, bringing the series back to its roots.
For those who need a bit of a refresher on Mummy lore, the Book of the Dead is an ancient tome that contains spells capable of bringing the dead back to life and summoning the Warriors of the Book. It appeared in the very first Mummy movie and was last seen in The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption.
Fehr’s involvement in this movie is also a big hint that things are returning to form; he was notably absent from 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, saying that without Imhotep as the big baddie, his character wouldn’t have any reason to appear. Given that the Book of the Dead is almost certainly involved in this movie, and Ardeth Bay is back in action, it’s possible that someone summons Imhotep back into the land of the living using the Book, bringing the gang back together again.
For now, nothing is certain. Most recently, Fehr joked that the third Mummy movie didn’t exist, saying at Comic-Con Holland: “It’s a very positive thing. The Mummy, The Mummy Returns — there wasn’t a third one — but the two movies were so… seriously, it was just fun.”
The Mummy: Book of the Dead hits theaters on October 15, 2027.
