A big new universe calls for a big star, so Universal is turning to Tom Cruise for help.
Variety reports Tom Cruise is in talks to star in Universal’s upcoming reboot of The Mummy which will serve as the launchpad for the studio’s “classic monster” universe (think Marvel’s Cinematic Universe but with the Mummy, Frankenstein, Wolfman, etc).
“Plot details are vague other than it will be set in present day, unlike the previous three installments starring Brendan Fraser,” reports Variety. “Cruise isn’t expected to produce, but will play a major part in helping develop this new franchise, sources say. Cruise’s name is expected to play a large part in not only the ‘Mummy’ franchise, but also in the monster universe, as it’s planned that characters will have roles in other monster movies leading up to an ‘Avengers’-style tie-in film.”
At this time we don’t know who Cruise will be playing, but as you can tell from Variety’s report, his character will be very important.
Brendan Fraser’s Mummy trilogy kicked off in 1999, and sequels followed in 2001 and 2008. The success of the trilogy spawned a spinoff titled The Scorpion King as well as a rollercoaster ride at Universal theme parks.
Universal’s new and modern monster universe is being developed by Alex Kurtzman (Star Trek, Transformers) and Chris Morgan (Fast & Furious, Wanted).
News of Cruise’s involvement comes on the heels of Mission: Impossible 5’s huge success over the summer. Paramount was so happy with the performance of the latest MI (Rogue Nation) that the sixth installment is already in development and expected to begin shooting next year. If that sounds quick, it is: previous Mission Impossible movies have had four to six years in between each other.
Source: Variety
We want to hear your thoughts on this topic!
Write a comment below or submit an article to Hypable.