MoviesNewsTalk
The Mummy. The name alone evokes a rich history of cinematic thrills, from the classic Universal monster films of the 1930s, all the way through the campy fun of the Brendan Fraser adventures in the late 90's or Tom Cruise's more modern (yet widely panned) interpretation. The Mummy is always part of a conversation for iconic monster figures that never truly disappear from popular consciousness. However recent news reveals we have a new upcoming film and through this exploration we can try to make sense on the direction being made through this all-new iteration with some core ideas while analyzing and understanding why horror productions continue to resurrect those well worn tropes through different creative choices in hopes to modernize them for all upcoming viewers.
With the announcement that Lee Cronin is taking the helm for a fresh 'Mummy' movie from New Line Cinema, produced by horror mainstays Atomic Monster and Blumhouse we find a very unusual and peculiar creative production dynamic from various talented parties with very clear shared and overlapping core production values ( with Blumhouse known for the budget friendly approaches to genre films; and Atomic Monster taking some influence with far more intense or gory productions ) that do clearly show a specific goal. What becomes very obvious is this won't be a 'run-of-the-mill' simple reboot. Based on his previously strong film work on “Evil Dead Rise,” Cronin seems uniquely positioned to bring both visceral scares alongside his personal understanding for character story structure.
Cronin's direct claim that, "This will be unlike any Mummy movie you ever laid eyeballs on before," isn't simple studio hyperbole, but carries with it a certain understanding of his approach; because rather than aiming to directly remake some well known production from Universal, it does intend on taking core aspects from that iconic movie figure but creating a new narrative rather than simple re-hashes by re-envisioning the source concept with a more mature and complex thematic scope; it implies this will carry a stronger personal stamp from the director itself who appears also intent in fully creating a unique atmosphere from many different horror approaches with his goal now being a specific type of character and also specific type of threat from what the past mummies have created (which were very varied when looking carefully on those production). What sets those goals different, becomes an analysis to fully consider.
The producer's core ideas on wanting a "very ancient and very frightening" concept shows us where a creative team will emphasize their production efforts for their interpretation; their goals aim at giving this mummy far greater character purpose to explore themes in relation to ancient mythology and far more deep rooted dread for an unknown evil which, in turn puts it outside simply basic action sequences.
While the story is completely being kept secret by production, we should also fully take note about what makes a "good" Mummy project in general ( and that should provide insight). When revisiting classics like Boris Karloff’s version from 1932 , most core appeal rests in exploring human characters reactions to a figure ( both scary and mysterious but at times a character that does showcase humanity) from an older world. The 90’s version, had a clear emphasis with action adventure while balancing those human elements that mostly come from a combination of various character archetypes that work best within such genres. While the 2017 take attempted to give that same production format a higher grade blockbuster spectacle, many will claim it didn't really grasp what makes a good 'Mummy' movie for that.
The core element must always rest into making the mummy into both a figure of terror as well as of some strange form of interest (either by visual design or human traits). It needs to operate like a powerful and unstoppable force from a place and time that has been forgotten; to always operate both with logic while pushing for disbelief. All mummies represent something that time hasn’t erased ( whether that might be some ancient Egyptian mythologies or some other more sinister reason); if the design fully achieves a goal then what happens with the main casts ( from different factions trying to interact) begins a clear representation of what we can expect during each specific iteration for this iconic property that now is going to be carefully recreated by someone who really loves these types of approaches to core themes, and storytelling structure. That puts pressure, on this particular production, to live up to those existing long run movie references for future projects.
This upcoming movie project takes extra importance with the combination of Blumhouse and Atomic Monster's involvement into such project. These studios have often showcased unique abilities for presenting classics from a fresh point of view while working on fairly modest budgets; but in this case given Cronins successful record of “Evil Dead Rise”, this implies a higher level of creative freedom where violence and intensity should now be more in focus within all action sets as this partnership has, now more than ever a greater range when compared to previous "Mummy' related film productions.
By not being forced to be a family focused picture those two studios seem likely to embrace far more extreme levels of graphic scenes or terror which could appeal to different viewing sensibilities than mainstream Hollywood's usual approach regarding studio horror formats where visual damage or graphic content is normally either limited or heavily altered for mainstream focus. Instead these particular set of creative minds tend to go outside the limits when it serves an important value towards visual storytelling. By doing so, it is more likely that they would rather focus upon characters personal interactions under these settings of brutal environments and that could allow a level of complex moral considerations for its viewers within its production's main goal.
Cronin’s work on ‘Evil Dead Rise’, did have strong story structures where core characters actions weren’t done without a specific underlying moral reason for their actions. Therefore given his background as both director but now also as writer and also executive producer this “Mummy” production seems intended to take some new innovative turns by embracing more intense sequences while fully expanding main character motivations within high action beats.
This ‘Mummy’ should then push what the classic movie monster archetype does and how it operates which implies a film less tied down with large blockbuster spectacle, by instead taking that monster-movie appeal while mixing up genres together ( horror-drama-action-thriller?) that might deliver a much more engaging set of events for seasoned horror fans seeking something a bit more thought-provoking rather than only shock value, but this production should not overlook action packed scenes since the intent now does seem like there's a much stronger commitment into having every element be put to good measure rather than sacrificing value on one end or on another creating something fresh, new and yet also somewhat very recognizable to genre standards.
Lee Cronin's 'Mummy' reboot will bring the horror icon into a different time and perspective. With a creative team composed by those with a track record in successful productions, including a highly dedicated and enthusiastic filmmaker that clearly sees potential within these archetypes for interesting characters and visual narrative settings, this production might offer a fresh vision to create something worthwhile. By stepping away from the more direct blockbuster formula from past recent titles, this creative take shows incredible promise and it could offer the 'Mummy' some incredible new opportunities to exist not just as 'that monster' but an entirely new cinematic chapter with that character having some unique new perspective; the old and the new coming into collision in what seems now to be, some of the studios core production values.
It is always intriguing to see a new 'take’ for classics because these figures often do come back for a reason: due to the ability they have to reinvent themselves, and now with a far more creative approach we may very well get a memorable project as we finally reach a future era where these classic iconic monster movie characters might find renewed appreciation.