The Mummy | |
---|---|
![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Stephen Sommers |
Screenplay by | Stephen Sommers |
Story by |
|
Based on | |
Produced by | James Jacks Sean Daniel |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Adrian Biddle |
Edited by | Bob Ducsay |
Music by | Jerry Goldsmith |
Production company | Alphaville Films[1] |
Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 125 minutes |
Country | United States |
Languages | English, Arabic, Egyptian [2] |
Budget | $80 million[3] |
Box office | $417.4 million[3] |
The Mummy is a 1999 American action-adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers, starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah and Arnold Vosloo in the title role as the reanimated mummy. It is a remake of the 1932 film of the same name. The film follows adventurer Rick O'Connell as he travels to Hamunaptra, the City of the Dead, with librarian Evelyn Carnahan and her older brother Jonathan, where they accidentally awaken Imhotep, a cursed high priest with supernatural powers.
Development took years, with multiple screenplays and directors attached. In 1997, Sommers successfully pitched his version of a more adventurous and romantic take on the source material. Filming took place in Morocco and the United Kingdom; the crew endured dehydration, sandstorms and snakes shooting on location in the Sahara Desert. Industrial Light & Magic provided many of the visual effects, blending live-action footage and computer-generated imagery to create the titular monster. Jerry Goldsmith provided the orchestral score.
The Mummy was theatrically released on May 7, 1999. Despite mixed critical reviews, it was a commercial success and grossed over $416.4 million worldwide against a production budget of $80 million. The film's success spawned two direct sequels, The Mummy Returns (2001) and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008). It also led to spinoffs such as an animated series and the prequel The Scorpion King (2002), which generated its own sequels. Attempts to reboot the property and kickstart a new media franchise led to a 2017 film.