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Is there going to be a The Mummy 2 starring Tom Cruise?

The Mummy starring Tom Cruise has found a new lease on life since its recent addition to Netflix's ever-expanding library. The 2017 action-adventure horror movie, a bold reboot of the original series with Brendon Fraser, introduced us to Nick Morton, portrayed by Tom Cruise, a daring treasure-hunting soldier who unwittingly awakens the vengeful ancient Egyptian princess, Ahmanet, played by the talented Sofia Boutella. The official synopsis for the movie, as per IMDb , reads:

"An ancient Egyptian princess is awakened from her crypt beneath the desert, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia and terrors that defy human comprehension."

As the film now enjoys a new surge in viewership on Netflix, fans and newcomers alike are left wondering: Is there a sequel in the works?

Whether you're a fan of the film, a newcomer considering a watch, or simply curious about the potential for a sequel, you're in the right place! Join us as we unveil all the details you need to know about the possibility of The Mummy 2 with Tom Cruise below!

According to reports , The Mummy starring Tom Cruise was initially envisioned as the kickoff to a grand shared universe of classic movie monsters, which would have included iconic characters like Frankenstein and Dracula. Unfortunately, the film fell short of critical acclaim and box office success, ultimately leading to the cancellation of the entire project.

So at this present time, it's unlikely we will ever get The Mummy 2 starring Tom Cruise.

Despite this, The Mummy franchise boasts a dedicated and passionate fan base, particularly for the originals with Brendan Fraser. With the film's resurgence on Netflix, there's renewed interest in the series, sparking hopes for its revival. This could be the perfect moment to breathe new life into the franchise with a fresh ensemble of actors.

While it's currently just a dream, there's a collective desire to see the original cast return in some capacity to pass the torch to a new generation of adventurous archaeologists. The fate of The Mummy franchise remains uncertain, but only time will reveal whether it will rise from the crypt once more!

Is there going to be a The Mummy 2 starring Tom Cruise?

We likely won’t ever see The Mummy 2 starring Tom Cruise

By stefani munro | nov 4, 2023.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 02: Tom Cruise attends a photo call in support of "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One" at Overseas Passenger Terminal on July 02, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

The Mummy starring Tom Cruise has found a new lease on life since its recent addition to Netflix’s ever-expanding library. The 2017 action-adventure horror movie, a bold reboot of the original series with Brendon Fraser, introduced us to Nick Morton, portrayed by Tom Cruise, a daring treasure-hunting soldier who unwittingly awakens the vengeful ancient Egyptian princess, Ahmanet, played by the talented Sofia Boutella. The official synopsis for the movie, as per IMDb , reads:

"“An ancient Egyptian princess is awakened from her crypt beneath the desert, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia and terrors that defy human comprehension.”"

As the film now enjoys a new surge in viewership on Netflix, fans and newcomers alike are left wondering: Is there a sequel in the works?

Whether you’re a fan of the film, a newcomer considering a watch, or simply curious about the potential for a sequel, you’re in the right place! Join us as we unveil all the details you need to know about the possibility of The Mummy 2 with Tom Cruise below!

It’s unlikely we’ll see a sequel to The Mummy

According to reports , The Mummy starring Tom Cruise was initially envisioned as the kickoff to a grand shared universe of classic movie monsters, which would have included iconic characters like Frankenstein and Dracula. Unfortunately, the film fell short of critical acclaim and box office success, ultimately leading to the cancellation of the entire project.

So at this present time, it’s unlikely we will ever get The Mummy 2 starring Tom Cruise.

Despite this, The Mummy franchise boasts a dedicated and passionate fan base, particularly for the originals with Brendan Fraser. With the film’s resurgence on Netflix, there’s renewed interest in the series, sparking hopes for its revival. This could be the perfect moment to breathe new life into the franchise with a fresh ensemble of actors.

While it’s currently just a dream, there’s a collective desire to see the original cast return in some capacity to pass the torch to a new generation of adventurous archaeologists. The fate of The Mummy franchise remains uncertain, but only time will reveal whether it will rise from the crypt once more!

39 best Netflix movies to watch tonight (November 2023). dark. Next

The Mummy Director Talks How The Tom Cruise Movie Was Beneficial For Him Despite Being His 'Biggest Failure'

The Mummy failed to launch the shared Dark Universe.

Tom Cruise in 2017's The Mummy

Universal Pictures’ Dark Universe franchise collapsed at the same place it began: with 2017’s The Mummy , starring Tom Cruise (one of two movies he appeared in that year, the other being American Made ). This take on the classic horror franchise was primarily met with negative reviews and was considered a commercial disappointment, and director Alex Kurtzman considers it his “biggest failure.” That being said, he still found helming The Mummy to be beneficial for some key reasons.

In addition to sitting in The Mummy ’s directorial chair, Alex Kurtzman also hashed out the story with Jenney Lumet and Jon Spaihts. Kurtzman and Lumet are now making the press rounds plugging their latest collaboration, the Showtime series The Man Who Fell to Earth , which is serves as a legacy sequel to the same-named 1976 movie starring David Bowie. While speaking with The Playlist , Kurtzman addressed his “painful” time on The Mummy , saying:

I tend to subscribe to the point of view that you learn nothing from your successes, and you learn everything from your failures. And that was probably the biggest failure of my life, both personally and professionally. There are about a million things I regret about it, but it also gave me so many gifts that are inexpressibly beautiful. I didn’t become a director until I made that movie, and it wasn’t because it was well directed – it was because it wasn’t.

Following nine years after the release of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor , the last entry in the Brendan Fraser-led Mummy film series (could that get a relaunch someday?) , this new version of The Mummy starred Sofia Boutella as Ahmanet, the title character who Tom Cruise’s Nick Morton, Annabelle Wallis’ Jenny Halsey and others had to battle across the globe. The Mummy also laid foundation for the wider Dark Universe, specifically through Russell Crowe ’s Dr. Henry Jekyll/Mr. Edward Hyde and the secret society known as Prodigium. In addition to The Mummy ’s ending teasing a sequel, other movies that were set to exist in the Dark Universe continuity included Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolfman and The Invisible Man . 

Alas, the combination of The Mummy ’s poor critical reception and only making $410 million worldwide resulted in Universal Pictures writing off the Dark Universe as a “failed” experiment and turning it into a general banner encompassing standalone movies focused on the studios classic monsters. Despite his regrets with how The Mummy turned out, Alex Kurtzman is thankful he was able to direct the movie, as the mistakes he made there have informed how he’s tackled later projects. In his words:

And as brutal as it was, in many ways, and as many cooks in the kitchen as there were, I am very grateful for the opportunity to make those mistakes because it rebuilt me into a tougher person and it also rebuilt me into a clearer filmmaker. And that has been a real gift and I feel those gifts all the time because I’m very clear now when I have a feeling that doesn’t feel right – I am not quiet about it anymore. I will literally not proceed when I feel that feeling. It’s not worth it to me. And you can’t get to that place of gratitude until you’ve had that kind of experience. Look, if you look at history and you look at people who’ve made amazing things, every single one of them will tell you the same story which is that it came after a failure, so I look back on it now with gratitude. It took me a while to get there, but my life is better for it.

The Mummy is one of two movies Alex Kurtzman has directed, having made his directorial debut with 2012’s People Like Us . Along with The Man Who Fell to Earth , Kurtzman has kept busy in recent years with the Star Trek TV shows Discovery , Picard and Strange New Worlds , and he and Lumet also created the short-lived CBS series Clarice . As far as the new Dark Universe goes, 2020’s reimagined version of The Invisible Man kicked off that run, and upcoming entries under that banner include Renfield , the Ryan Gosling -led Wolfman reboot and Dark Army (assuming Paul Feig can get it made) .

The Man Who Fell to Earth premieres Sunday, April 24 on Showtime, and Renfield , the next Universal Monsters movie on the docket, comes out on April 14, 2023. Take a look through the 2022 movie releases to figure out what you’ll be watching later this year.

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The Mummy: Resurrection

The Mummy: Resurrection (2022)

When an infamous "cursed" Egyptian sarcophagus falls into the hands of unscrupulous huckster Everett Randolph, he becomes obsessed with resurrecting the mummified princess held within it. When an infamous "cursed" Egyptian sarcophagus falls into the hands of unscrupulous huckster Everett Randolph, he becomes obsessed with resurrecting the mummified princess held within it. When an infamous "cursed" Egyptian sarcophagus falls into the hands of unscrupulous huckster Everett Randolph, he becomes obsessed with resurrecting the mummified princess held within it.

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‘the mummy’ reboot director calls the tom cruise film “the biggest failure of my life”.

Alex Kurtzman admitted there are "a million things" he regrets about the 2017 movie that also starred Russell Crowe and Sofia Boutella.

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The Mummy

Alex Kurtzman is no longer keeping his feelings about making The Mummy under wraps.

Kurtzman, who is a writer, director and executive producer on Showtime’s new sci-fi series The Man Who Fell to Earth , opened up to the Bingeworthy podcast on Friday about his “brutal” experience as helmer of the Tom Cruise -starring film that was an intended reboot of the Mummy franchise. The project, which was released in June 2017 and had been envisioned as launching Universal’s cinematic Dark Universe focusing on the studio’s movie monsters, was unsuccessful critically and commercially , and Kurtzman hasn’t directed a feature since.

“I tend to subscribe to the point of view that you learn nothing from your successes, and you learn everything from your failures,” Kurtzman said. “And that was probably the biggest failure of my life, both personally and professionally. There’s about a million things I regret about it, but it also gave me so many gifts that are inexpressibly beautiful. I didn’t become a director until I made that movie, and it wasn’t because it was well-directed — it was because it wasn’t.”

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Kurtzman, who previously worked as a writer on such movies as Transformers (2007), Star Trek (2009) and Cowboys & Aliens (2011), said he understands more about filmmaking after having gone through that process.

“And as brutal as it was, in many ways, and as many cooks in the kitchen as there were, I am very grateful for the opportunity to make those mistakes because it rebuilt me into a tougher person, and it also rebuilt me into a clearer filmmaker,” he shared. “And that has been a real gift, and I feel those gifts all the time because I’m very clear now when I have a feeling that doesn’t feel right — I am not quiet about it anymore. I will literally not proceed when I feel that feeling. It’s not worth it to me. And you can’t get to that place of gratitude until you’ve had that kind of experience.”

Jenny Lumet, who is also a writer and executive producer on The Man Who Fell to Earth , was a guest with Kurtzman on the podcast. Lumet, who has a story credit on The Mummy , said she is “very grateful” to have worked on the film and added, “I don’t think that I could be here now without that experience.”

The Hollywood Reporter’ s 2017 review of The Mummy , which also starred Russell Crowe, Annabelle Wallis and Sofia Boutella, called the film an “inauspicious beginning to a would-be franchise.” It currently holds a 16 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

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Brendan Fraser thinks Tom Cruise's Mummy reboot flopped because it wasn't fun: 'It's hard to make that movie'

The actor also says he'd be open to reprising his role as adventurer Rick O'Connell in a fourth film.

Jessica is a staff writer at Entertainment Weekly, where she covers TV, movies, and pop culture. Her work has appeared in Bustle, NYLON, Cosmopolitan, InStyle, and more. She lives in California with her dog.

Brendan Fraser has shared his thoughts on the 2017 reboot of The Mummy starring Tom Cruise , which flopped at the domestic box office with a $32.2 million debut .

"It is hard to make that movie," Fraser told Variet y in a new joint cover interview with The Whale director Darren Aronofsky . "The ingredient that we had going for our Mummy, which I didn't see in that film, was fun. That was what was lacking in that incarnation. It was too much of a straight-ahead horror movie."

The film, Fraser explained, "should be a thrill ride, but not terrifying and scary."

The actor also said he'd be open to reprising his role as the adventurer in a fourth film "if someone came up with the right conceit."

Fraser starred opposite Rachel Weisz , Arnold Vosloo, and Oded Fehr in director Stephen Sommers' 1999 film The Mummy, which follows Fraser's adventurer as he unwittingly awakens the vengeful reincarnation of an Egyptian priest during an expedition in the Sahara Desert. The actor reprised his role in two sequels, 2001's The Mummy Returns and 2008's The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor .

The films were a commercial success and turned Fraser into a megastar, setting the stage for his turns in Bedazzled, Journey to the Center of the Earth, No Sudden Move , and more.

While he wasn't tapped for the reboot, Fraser previously expressed support for director Alex Kurtzman's take on the movie. "I know very little about the project itself, but I know it's going to be great for an audience, because they were always there for that thrilling popcorn movie feeling and adventure," he told Access in 2017.

Kurtzman called the reboot his "biggest failure" earlier this year. "I tend to subscribe to the point of view that you learn nothing from your successes, and you learn everything from your failures," he said on The Playlist's Bingeworthy podcast in April. "And [ The Mummy ] was probably the biggest failure of my life, both personally and professionally."

While "there's about a million things" he regrets about the film, Kurtzman said, "It gave me so many gifts that are inexpressibly beautiful."

"I didn't become a director until I made that movie, and it wasn't because it was well directed," he explained. "It was because it wasn't. I am very grateful for the opportunity to make those mistakes because it rebuilt me into a tougher person, and it also rebuilt me into a clearer filmmaker."

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Tom Cruise’s ‘The Mummy’ Director Calls Film the ‘Biggest Failure of My Life, Personally and Professionally’

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The Mummy

Alex Kurtzman has called his 2017 directorial effort “ The Mummy ” the “biggest failure of my life, both personally and professionally.” The Universal-backed adventure tentpole starred Tom Cruise and was designed to jumpstart the studio’s Dark Universe , a franchise of interconnected films based on classic Universal monster movies. “The Mummy” was universally panned by film critics and grossed $410 million worldwide, effectively killing the studio’s franchise hopes.

“I tend to subscribe to the point of view that you learn nothing from your successes, and you learn everything from your failures,” Kurtzman recently said on The Playlist’s “Bingeworthy” podcast .  “And [‘The Mummy’] was probably the biggest failure of my life, both personally and professionally.”

While Kurtzman said “there’s about a million things I regret” about “The Mummy,” he also maintained that “it gave me so many gifts that are inexpressibly beautiful. I didn’t become a director until I made that movie, and it wasn’t because it was well-directed – it was because it wasn’t. I am very grateful for the opportunity to make those mistakes because it rebuilt me into a tougher person, and it also rebuilt me into a clearer filmmaker.”

“That has been a real gift, and I feel those gifts all the time because I’m very clear now when I have a feeling that doesn’t feel right,” Kurtzman added. “I am not quiet about it anymore. I will literally not proceed when I feel that feeling. It’s not worth it to me. And you can’t get to that place of gratitude until you’ve had that kind of experience.”

Variety film critic Owen Gleiberman wrote “The Mummy” was “too busy to be fun” in his review, adding, “The problem at its heart is that the reality of what the movie is — a Tom Cruise vehicle — is at war with the material…Cruise, at least in a high-powered potboiler like this one, is so devoted to maintaining his image as a clear and wholesome hero that his flirtation with the dark side is almost entirely theoretical. As Universal’s new Dark Universe unfolds, I wouldn’t hold my breath over which side is going to win, or how many more films it will take to play that out. It’s not just that there isn’t enough at stake (though there isn’t). It’s that the movie doesn’t seem to know how little at stake there is.”

Universal’s Dark Universe was set to include a sequel to Cruise’s “The Mummy” plus a Dr. Jekyll movie with Russell Crowe and a “Bride of Frankenstein” movie with Javier Bardem attached to play the eponymous monster. None of these films went into development after “The Mummy” bombed with critics and at the box office. Cruise rebounded a year later with the 2018 release of “Mission: Impossible – Fallout,” which grossed $791 million worldwide to become the highest-grossing “Mission” movie so far.

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Brendan Fraser shares his thoughts on Tom Cruise’s ‘The Mummy’

The actor starred as Rick O'Connell in "The Mummy" trilogy.

Brendan Fraser became a household name after starring the 1999 film “ The Mummy .”

The actor portrayed the adventurous Rick O’Connell in first movie, as well as in the 2001 sequel, “The Mummy Returns,” and third and final film released in 2008, “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.”

While the trilogy became a classic, the franchise was rebooted in 2017 with Tom Cruise as the lead. In a new interview with Variety, shared on Oct. 12, Fraser shared his thoughts on why the reboot didn't have the same appeal as his franchise.

“It is hard to make that movie,” the actor said. “The ingredient that we had going for our ‘Mummy,’ which I didn’t see in that film, was fun. That was what was lacking in that incarnation.”

“It was too much of a straight-ahead horror movie. ‘The Mummy’ should be a thrill ride, but not terrifying and scary,” Fraser continued. “I know how difficult it is to pull it off.”

Adding, “I tried to do it three times.”

Rachel Weisz and Brendon Fraser in "The Mummy."

The Cruise-led movie had a more serious tone than Fraser’s lighthearted action-adventure films and earned generally negative reviews from critics. The 2017 movie also failed to bring in the box office numbers it hoped to launch a new franchise, per Deadline.

Fraser’s franchise also paved the way for Dwayne Johnson’s “The Scorpion King” films after the former wrestler portrayed the Scorpion King in “The Mummy Returns.”

Johnson recently thanked Fraser — who has been earning critical acclaim for his latest film “The Whale” — for supporting him early in his career.

“Man this makes me so happy to see this beautiful ovation for Brendan. He supported me coming into his ‘Mummy Returns’ franchise for my first ever role, which kicked off my Hollywood career,” Johnson tweeted alongside a video of an emotional Fraser getting a standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival in September. “Rooting for all your success brother and congrats to my bud Darren Aronofsky. #TheWhale.”

As for Fraser, the actor was asked if he would be up for reprising his role in a fourth “The Mummy” film, to which he replied, “I don’t know how it would work.”

“But I’d be open to it if someone came up with the right conceit,” he said.

Liz Calvario is a Los Angeles-based reporter and editor for TODAY.com who covers entertainment, pop culture and trending news.

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Tom Cruise–Starrer ‘The Mummy’ Was ‘Brutal’ Experience and ‘Biggest Failure of My Life,’ Says Director

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It’s taken years for director Alex Kurtzman to be able to fully unwrap the box office flop that was “ The Mummy .”

The 2017 Tom Cruise film was expected to kick off Universal’s Dark Universe franchise, extending to revivals of “The Bride of Frankenstein,” “Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde,” and “The Invisible Man” with Javier Bardem, Russell Crowe, and Johnny Depp attached to the respective projects. However, plans for the Dark Universe were scrapped after “The Mummy” failed to find life at the box office, making less than $32 million opening weekend on a budget of an estimated $190 million.

“I tend to subscribe to the point of view that you learn nothing from your successes, and you learn everything from your failures. And that was probably the biggest failure of my life, both personally and professionally,” Kurtzman told The Playlist’s  “Bingeworthy” podcast . “There are about a million things I regret about it, but it also gave me so many gifts that are inexpressibly beautiful.”

“The Mummy” stars Tom Cruise as a U.S. Army sergeant who accidentally unleashes ancient Egyptian princess Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella) into the modern world. Cruise reportedly had “an excessive amount of control” on the production, as industry insiders previously told Variety .

On “Bingeworthy,” Kurtzman admitted that production was “brutal” in part due to too “many cooks in the kitchen.”

Yet the “Man Who Fell to Earth” director added, “I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to make those mistakes because it rebuilt me into a tougher person, and it also rebuilt me into a clearer filmmaker, and that has been a real gift.”

Kurtzman continued, “I feel those gifts all the time because I’m very clear now — when I have a feeling that doesn’t feel right, I am not quiet about it anymore. I will literally not proceed when I feel that feeling. It’s not worth it to me. And you can’t get to that place of gratitude until you’ve had that kind of experience.”

He also credited “The Mummy” with making him a “real” director, saying, “I didn’t become a director until I made that movie, and it wasn’t because it was well directed — it was because it wasn’t. I would not have understood many of the things that I now understand about what it means to be a director had I not gone through that experience.”

According to “Shadow and Bone” creator Eric Heisserer, who was set to helm the Dark Universe’s “Van Helsing” installment, the Universal franchise was a mess behind-the-scenes . Heisserer previously told The Playlist that production meetings were comparable to Thanksgiving day family bickering.

“You had some people saying, ‘Should our monsters all be villains in these movies or can they all be heroes?'” Heisserer said. “And someone else would say, ‘We can build the plane when we fly it.’ And it’s me and Jon Spaihts at the table going, ‘That’s a terrible analogy. We don’t want to be on that plane. What are we doing here?'”

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Brendan Fraser Teases Hope for New 'The Mummy' Sequel With Subtle Shade at Tom Cruise

By Daniel S. Levine - October 13, 2022 05:56 pm EDT

Brendan Fraser  is the latest star on the cusp of a career renaissance thanks to his upcoming drama The Whale , but he is looking to get back to the franchise that made him a star. In a new Variety   interview, Fraser said he would be interested in playing adventurer Rick O'Connell again in a new Mummy movie if possible. He also explained why he thinks Tom Cruise's 2017 Mummy movie  bombed.

"I don't know how it would work... but I'd be open to it if someone came up with the right conceit," Fraser told Variety when asked about possibly making a third sequel to The Mummy . Fraser was not  asked to even make a cameo when Universal Pictures revived The Mummy again in 2017. Cruise starred as U.S. Army Sgt. Nick Morton, who had to deal with the consequences of opening a cursed mummy tomb.

"It is hard to make that movie," Fraser told Variety . "The ingredient that we had going for our Mummy , which I didn't see in that film, was fun. That was what was lacking in that incarnation. It was too much of a straight-ahead horror movie. The Mummy should be a thrill ride, but not terrifying and scary."

Cruise's Mummy movie was a critical and financial disaster for Universal. It did so poorly that Universal pulled the plug on a planned "Dark Universe" that would link all of its monster characters together. In April, director Alex Kurtzman said  there were "about a million things I regret" about the 2017 Mummy .

"I know how difficult it is to pull it off," Fraser told Variety . "I tried to do it three times."

Stephen Sommers, who directed Fraser's first two Mummy movies, told Variety that Fraser was the perfect actor in the late 1990s to play Rick O'Connell. "He could throw a punch and take a punch and he had a great sense of humor. You really like the guy. He never comes across as cocky or arrogant," Sommers said, before going on to praise Fraser for even doing his own stunts. "He was game for anything we threw at him."

The Mummy franchise dates back to 1932 when Universal released the original film. That movie spawned four sequels, plus the 1955 comedy Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy . Hammer Film Productions in the U.K. also produced a series of Mummy movies between 1959 and 1971. Universal revived the series again with Fraser's and Summers' first film in 1999. The Mummy Returns followed in 2001 and Rob Cohen's The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor opened in 2008.  

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“The Mummy 2”: understand why the film with Tom Cruise did not have a sequel

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The reboot of ‘The Mummy 2’ was supposed to kick off a new shared universe, but after failing among critics and disappointing at the box office , the entire project was scrapped.

When announced, the film would be the first in a trilogy starring Tom Cruise, which would also be linked to Dark Universe – a monster saga planned by Universal Pictures.

Although it raised $ 408 million worldwide, the feature only earned $ 80 million in the United States. With the huge budget of $ 125 million, the return did not justify the investment.

Finally, “The Mummy 2” and Dark Universe have been canceled.

When the film was released, editor-in-chief Renato Marafon arrived in Mexico City to interview the very likeable Tom Cruise .

In an interview with THR, director Alex Kurtzman spoke about the production and the mistakes he learned from its failure.

Enjoy watching:

“The mummy 2 is not what I wanted it to be. I am no longer involved in it and have no idea what is going on. I look back now and what seemed painful at the time turned out to be a blessing. I’ve learned that I have to follow my own instincts and when I can’t do it, I don’t think I can be successful.

He adds, “[ Os filmes de monstros da Universal ] they are beautiful because the monsters are imperfect characters and we see ourselves in them. I hope these are the films they will make; I want to see them.”

Tom Cruise, Annabelle Wallis, Sofia Boutella, Russell Crowe and Jake Johnson are the stars.

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Screen Rant

Tom cruise’s the mummy failure: 8 reasons why dark universe failed before it began.

Despite Tom Cruise taking the lead role, 2017’s The Mummy was a failure that stopped the Dark Universe from progressing, but why did it flop?

  • The marketing for 2017's The Mummy was misleading and featured unimportant details, leading viewers to have false expectations.
  • Tom Cruise's involvement in the film was wasted as his character lacked substance and did not showcase his talents.
  • The characters in The Mummy were poorly developed, making it difficult for the audience to root for them and invest in their story.

2017's reboot of The Mummy was meant to launch a new franchise for Universal called the Dark Universe, but it failed for several reasons and was ultimately scrapped. That came as a huge shock, especially with megastar Tom Cruise in the lead role, fellow A-lister Russell Crowe on board, and a talented supporting cast including Annabelle Wallis, Jake Johnson, Courtney B. Vance, and Marwan Kenzari. On paper, Dark Universe looked like a guaranteed success.

The reality just goes to show that, even with a massive budget and big names attached, movies can bomb if the other essential ingredients aren't right — and Cruise's The Mummy remake had so many fundamental ingredients missing that it was hard to ignore them all. Looking at the film objectively, it's easy to see why fans and critics panned it, as well as why the proposed franchise it was a platform for didn't progress. It may even be one of the most disappointing films of the 21st century, especially since it led to the Dark Universe concept being axed.

Split feature image of The Mummy 2017 and The Golden Compass

The Universal Dark Universe And 9 Other Abandoned Movie Franchises

8 the mummy's marketing was poor, posters, billboards, and trailers featured unimportant details.

The Mummy (2017) - Sofia Boutella - Eyes

The marketing for 2017's The Mummy was fairly uninspired and substandard in general, but there was one particularly irksome aspect of it. Whether it was a poster, a billboard, or a trailer, it all seemed to feature the eponymous Princess Ahmanet's eyes, each of which had an extra pupil. It suggested they were important and might grant her a mystical ability, but they turned out to be entirely inconsequential. Viewers were never given a chance to see what these intriguing eyes offered. She may as well have had completely normal eyes. The marketing was terribly misleading in that regard .

7 The Mummy Wastes Tom Cruise

The lead should have guaranteed its success.

Cruise an iconic and exceptional actor. Cruise has received three Academy Award acting nominations for Born on the Fourth of July , Jerry Maguire , and Magnolia . Although he's failed to win, that takes some talent. Sadly, The Mummy completely wastes his involvement by having play a paper-thin character with very little substance . He gets little to no opportunity to showcase his charm, and his talents dissolve into an almost perpetual whirlwind of generic action. Considering The Mummy is a Cruise vehicle with the superstar at the wheel, the actor may as well have taken the keys out of the ignition.

6 The Mummy Has Poor Characters

The characters are hard to root for.

Tom Cruise and Jake Johnson in The Mummy 2017

Despite having the name of the monster in their titles, monster movies rely on great characters to succeed. Jaws , for instance, would be nothing without the palpable chemistry between Roy Scheider's Martin Brody, Robert Shaw's Quint, and Richard Dreyfuss' Matt Hooper. Likewise, Alien and Predator wouldn't be anywhere near as iconic without Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley and Arnold Schwarzenegger's Dutch and their memorable co-stars. A major problem in The Mummy is poor characters. If Cruise's Nick Morton is paper-thin, the supporting characters are microscopic. They're underdeveloped and neither interesting nor likable. It's actually difficult to want them to come out of the movie victorious .

5 Unfavorable Comparisons To Previous Versions

The mummy couldn't live up to its predecessors.

Any reboot, remake, or sequel risks being compared unfavorably to its predecessors, and 2017's The Mummy always had a tough road ahead in that regard. The classic Universal series starring the likes of Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney Jr. and even the horror comedy Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy are widely revered. Plus, 1999's The Mummy and its first sequel, 2001's The Mummy Returns , are beloved adventure films. The 2017 reboot doesn't live up to them in any way . It lacks the memorable characters, the scares, the humor, and everything you should want in a Mummy franchise film. In that sense, it was doomed from the start.

4 The Mummy Has Too Much Action

The action overshadows everything else.

Tom Cruise and Annabelle Wallis running from a destructive force in The Mummy

In a movie like The Mummy , action is obviously essential. Without any action, the film would be unspeakably boring — more so than it already is — because there'd be no sense of urgency or peril. However, 2017's reboot of The Mummy goes way too overboard with its action . It feels like director Alex Kurtzman believes fans are only entertained by action scenes, so it barely slows down at any point during the film's run. Eventually, that makes the action seem dull. However, it also takes away from several other aspects of the story, like character development, suspense, dialogue, and scares.

3 Its Comedy Is Weird And Misplaced

Tom cruise tries too hard and too often.

Tom Cruise The Mummy

Cruise has proven many times that he has perfectly passable comedy chops. 1983's Losin' It and Risky Business , 1988's Cocktail , 2008's Tropic Thunder , 2010's Knight and Day , and 2017's American Made are just some movies in which Cruise has shown his funny side. However, in The Mummy , on the few occasions he engages in dialogue, he tries too hard to be funny and does it too often . It doesn't work out — not just because The Mummy isn't a comedy but because the rest of the cast are playing darker or more serious characters and aren't remotely on the same page. It's misplaced and falls completely flat.

2 The Dark Universe Is Forced And Rushed

Henry jekyll should have been introduced later.

Russell Crowe as Hyde in The Mummy

The Mummy was intended to be the opening installment in a franchise, Universal's Dark Universe. Everyone understood that, but it didn't need to be forced down audience's throats or feel rushed and contrived. To use a common phrase to describe it: it's a marathon, not a sprint. It was, therefore, deeply unnecessary for Russell Crowe's Henry Jekyll to be shoehorned into the movie as the Dark Universe's version of Nick Fury. It was even less necessary to see his transformation into Eddie Hyde, which could have been a big reveal at a later time. All it did was take away from The Mummy as a standalone entity.

1 The Mummy Isn't Scary

The titular creature just wasn't scary.

Arguably, the most crucial factor in The Mummy's failure — and its unfortunate failure to launch the Dark Universe — is that it simply isn't scary. A Mummy movie doesn't necessarily have to be scary. Indeed, the beloved Mummy movies starring Brendan Fraser weren't for the most part. However, when it's meant to be the platform from which a franchise called the Dark Universe is born, it should feature some classic and appropriately scary cinematic monsters . The movie promised a lot, but it lacked suspense, scares, and an eponymous antagonist who's remotely frightening. Ahmanet offers nothing in terms of scares at any point in 2017's The Mummy — and that's a real shame.

What Brendan Fraser Has Said About A Possible ‘Mummy’ Sequel

Would Fraser return for a possible fourth 'The Mummy' movie? No, we're not counting the one starring Tom Cruise.

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Would brendan fraser make another 'mummy' movie, shooting 'the mummy' got dangerous for fraser, fraser about 'the mummy' co-star rachel weisz.

1999 cult classic 'The Mummy' conquered hoards of fans with a killer mix of humor, romance and action and the perfect protagonists: Brendan Fraser as American adventurer Rick O'Connell and Rachel Weisz as librarian-turned-Egyptologist Evelyn Carnahan.

The film grossed over $416.4 million worldwide, spawning a prequel series with Dwayne Johnson and two direct sequels starring Fraser, reprising the role of Rick. As for Weisz, she only returned for the first sequel 'The Mummy Returns', while Evelyn was portrayed by Maria Bello in 'The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor'.

In 2017, Tom Cruise was surprisingly attached to a fourth sequel. 2017 film 'The Mummy' departed from the original story and ending up not grossing as much as the studios had hoped . After speculations about a fourth movie starring Fraser started circulating in 2021, it seems that another sequel to the original trilogy might happen one day. But would Fraser reprise the role of Rick? The 'Scrubs' actor seems to be on board.

Fans of 'The Mummy' have been calling for another sequel starring Fraser since the third movie was released in 2008.

In 2019, the actor was asked at a panel if he would don Rick's boots and bandana one more time.

Related: What Has Brendan Fraser Been Doing Since 'The Mummy'?

" Absolutely! " Fraser said during a panel at Fan Expo Canada (via 'comicbook.com').

The actor explained there was one condition on which he would return for a fourth movie, and it sounds like this premise could make for a great 'The Mummy' fourth installment.

"Just gotta say, I know how hard it is to make that movie," Fraser added.

"I tried to do it three times, and the essential ingredient is fun. You gotta remember to have fun. So if there's a fun way to approach it again, I'm all in."

And if Fraser would return to 'The Mummy' for a fourth film, chances are it'll be full of spectacular stunts.

The actor has had his fair share of on-set scares , as he recalled on the film's 20th anniversary in 2019. Fraser is talking about the scene where his character Rick is about to be publicly hung as Evie tries to barter for his life.

Related: 15 Precise Moments The Mummy Franchise Started To Suck

"I did get fully choked-out. It was scary, " Fraser told 'Entertainment Weekly' about one the stunts he performed on 'The Mummy'.

"Rick is dangling at the end of the rope, and he's such a tough guy that his neck didn’t snap. We did the wide shot, which was the stuntman going down, and he had a harness on, and it looked great. Then they've got to go in [for a close-up]. There was a hangman's gallows, and there was a hemp rope tied into a noose that was placed around my neck. The first take, I'm doing my best choking acting. Steve says, 'Can we got for another one and take up the tension on the rope?' I said, 'All right, one more take.'

"Because a noose around your neck's going to choke you in the arteries, no matter what. So, the stuntman took up the tension on the rope, and I went up on the balls of my feet, then I guess he took the tension up again, and I'm not a ballerina, I can't stand on my tip-toes. I remember seeing the camera start to pan around, and then it was like a black iris at the end of a silent film.

Related: See Brendan Fraser Get Emotional In This "Comeback" Interview

"It was like turning down the volume switch on your home stereo, like the Death Star powering down. I regained consciousness and one of the EMTs was saying my name. There was gravel in my ear and s**t really hurt. The stunt coordinator came over, and he said, 'Hi! Welcome to the club, bro! Ha ha ha!' And I was like, 'Ha ha, funny? Ha ha?' Like, What the hell? I want to go home! Steven — he and I disagree — but I think he was trying to go, 'Oh, that wacky Brendan, acting up a storm again!', or something like that. I was like, 'Hey, you guys think what you need to, but I’m done for the day.'"

It looks like Fraser was trying to "sell" the scene by making it look as realistic as possible, and director Stephen Sommers confirmed it, "blaming" it on him to turn it into a dangerous scene.

While Weisz is only in two films of the original trilogy , it's safe to say that Fraser would love to star in another movie alongside 'The Lobster' actress.

"I mean, come on. It's Rachel Weisz, she's lovely," Fraser commented.

About her role in 'The Mummy', Fraser said that Weisz did "all the talking" in the first movie.

"She got stuck with all the exposition in that show. Which is good, that means all the talking. I was just the guy like, 'Hurry up, let's go, come on! That thing is gonna go bang!' It worked out."

To be clear, a fourth movie isn't actually in the works, but there is a chance we'll see more of Rick and Evie in the future... if the stars align.

Next: Brendan Fraser Nearly Played This Iconic Superhero

Why These Tom Cruise Movies Never Got A Sequel

Tom Cruise on a futuristic battlefield

Despite starring in countless box office hits, Tom Cruise has often eschewed sequels in his lengthy career as a leading man. While the original "Mission: Impossible" has spawned multiple follow-ups, the only other Tom Cruise movies to inspire sequels are "Jack Reacher" and "Top Gun." Otherwise, his star vehicles often function as one-and-done entities. This makes sense considering how many Cruise features aren't exactly the kind of titles that can spawn cinematic universes. Would sequels to movies like "Rain Man" or "Eyes Wide Shut," for example, register as anything but bizarre cash grabs?

However, that doesn't mean there haven't been attempts over the years to extend the lifespan of certain Cruise movies with sequels that never got off the ground. But for a wide variety of reasons, a slew of sequels, prequels, or assorted spinoffs to various Cruise features have failed to come to fruition. The factors that ensured these follow-ups would only remain ideas rather than finished films range heavily, from Cruise's busy schedule to subpar box office results of the original movie dampening enthusiasm for sequels, among many other elements. While there aren't a ton of completed part twos in Cruise's filmography, there are a gigantic amount of Tom Cruise sequels that never saw the light of day. Warning — there are spoilers below.

Edge of Tomorrow

Ever since "Edge of Tomorrow" hit theaters in June 2014, there's been constant talk about a sci-fi sequel. While the movie bombed domestically , it did okay at the worldwide box office, and those who saw the movie really seemed to enjoy it . Its reputation has only grown since then, so it seems like there would be a sizable segment of the population willing to watch more time-travel shenanigans involving Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. However, this sequel has faced constant uphill battles towards getting completed. For starters, "Tomorrow" director Doug Liman and Cruise both got immediately busy with the 2017 film "American Made." That filled up their schedules right when the iron was hottest for "Edge of Tomorrow 2."

The prospective sequel seemed closer than ever in January 2018, when Liman said  the project was close to happening. But this follow-up, which would've been titled " Live Die Repeat and Repeat ," suffered further setbacks throughout 2019 when its screenplay went through a rewriting process . By 2021, Emily Blunt was highly doubtful that a sequel would ever make sense to financiers, while a report in 2022 revealed that Warner Bros. was more interested in developing an "Edge of Tomorrow" TV show for HBO Max rather than a traditional sequel. Even with its key creative participants gung-ho about a part two, an "Edge of Tomorrow" follow-up failed to become a movie audiences could even experience once, let alone over and over again.

Jerry Maguire

Even though everyone and their grandmother knows about "Jerry Maguire," as reflected in the film's gargantuan box office , the film has never received a sequel. It's not hard to see why since it's an intimate dramedy — not the kind of motion picture that spawns a slew of spinoffs. Plus, writer/director Cameron Crowe got extremely busy after the glorious success of "Jerry Maguire," and Tom Cruise was even busier in the late 1990s. But believe it or not, Crowe actually had an idea for a follow-up, despite not being the kind of guy who's ever done a sequel in his long and storied career.

Talking to Collider , Crowe noted that whenever he thought about doing more adventures in the world of "Jerry Maguire," it wouldn't focus on Cruise's protagonist. Instead, he "always thought it should be about the Tidwells [Cuba Gooding Jr. and Regina King]. I always thought it should be Marcy and Rod." Crowe even noted that he was often contacted about the idea of doing a TV show follow-up to "Jerry Maguire," only for him to suggest that the Tidwell's should be the focus and then have nobody follow up with him on the concept. Given how Crowe has largely focused on original films in his career, nobody should expect "Jerry Maguire 2" anytime soon, though at least this filmmaker knows exactly where he would've taken such a production.

Rock of Ages

For years after its release, there was constant buzz over the possibility of a sequel to "Hairspray." This 2007 musical remake was helmed by Adam Shankman and became a major box office hit . Thanks to all that cash, studio executives saw the potential to turn this project into a franchise. Despite having John Waters secured to write a script and a prospective July 2010 release date , the proposed "Hairspray 2" eventually fizzled out .

At least that Adam Shankman musical had years of discussion surrounding a potential sequel. The same can't be said for the director's 2012 musical "Rock of Ages," which starred Tom Cruise as Stacee Jaxx. Despite featuring Cruise as a washed-up rocker — among many other movie stars inhabiting similarly distinctive roles — "Rock of Ages" was a box office failure in its theatrical run. Thanks to it losing so much money, there was never so much as a whisper surrounding the prospect of a "Rock of Ages 2." While there was constant movement on "Hairspray 2" before it was canned, there was never any hope for Jaxx getting to come back out to moviegoers to deliver an encore performance.

Minority Report

"Minority Report" wasn't the biggest Tom Cruise movie ever when it opened in theaters in 2002. However, it still grossed over $350 million worldwide on a $102 million budget, rendering it a profitable enterprise. Combine that with the positive reviews it garnered, and it would have made sense if all involved opted to go make a sequel. However, rather than dive into a prospective "Minority Report 2," Cruise and director Steven Spielberg put their time and energy into another summer blockbuster. "War of the Worlds" would arrive three years after "Minority Report," serving as a reunion between the two popular artists.

While it could've been possible for a "Minority Report 2" to emerge after "War of the Worlds," Cruise and Spielberg proceeded to focus on a wide assortment of other, separate projects. With each passing year, the relevancy of "Minority Report" got more and more miniscule, and the chances of ever seeing a sequel were similarly small. While audiences would eventually get to return to the world of "Minority Report," it would be in the form of a 2014 TV show airing on Fox . This program would only last a season, providing a short return to this familiar universe for fans of the original property. Aside from this program, no momentum has occurred or appears to be on the horizon for a traditional big-screen "Minority Report" follow-up.

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

Unlike many Tom Cruise vehicles that aren't "Mission: Impossible" and "Top Gun," the 2012 film "Jack Reacher" actually did manage to receive a sequel. This follow-up dropped into movie theaters in October 2016 in the form of "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back." The project was a box office dud and didn't inspire much passion from critics. With these developments, the "Jack Reacher" franchise was over before it even began, with this property getting rebooted with the 2022 TV show "Reacher."

But before that Amazon program began airing, "Reacher" writer/director Christopher McQuarrie revealed to Empire Magazine that he and Cruise had originally planned to continue the "Jack Reacher" saga. The duo had been developing a follow-up to "Never Going Back" that would take the character in a decidedly R-rated direction with much darker stories compared to the first two "Reacher" films. Unfortunately for McQuarrie and Cruise, Paramount Pictures wasn't interested in continuing the franchise in movie form. While McQuarrie concluded the interview by saying that he and Cruise maintained a passion for exploring the character in further films, the existence of the "Reacher" show makes it apparent that "Never Going Back" will never get a sequel.

Knight and Day

At the end of "Knight and Day," Roy Miller (Tom Cruise) and June Havens (Cameron Diaz), after having to deal with so much deception and danger, finally get to relax. The duo, once strained and unable to stand each other, are shown getting away from the clutches of the CIA and riding away to paradise in Cape Horn. Though they're off to a tropical vacation, the fact that they're both alive — not to mention the bubbly episodic nature of "Knight and Day" itself — would seem to suggest there's a high possibility that this movie could spawn multiple sequels. Now that Miller and Havens have learned to live with each other, perhaps they can save the world again.

Unfortunately, unlike other Cruise action vehicles like "Mission: Impossible," "Knight and Day" would never get a sequel, and it's no surprise why. The movie came up short at the box office, grossing just $258.7 million on a $117 million budget. Failing to be a profitable enterprise and making considerably less than other Cruise action vehicles , it's difficult to imagine 20th Century Fox ever being interested in a sequel. Even if its ending suggested at least the tiniest possibility of there being more adventures on the horizon, "Knight and Day" never came close to justifying a follow-up at the box office.

On paper, "Oblivion" seems like the rare Tom Cruise action vehicle that could never warrant a sequel. That's because the film's lead character, Jack Harper, ends up perishing in the finale, sacrificing himself to ensure the destruction of an alien force that's taken over Earth. With that, the planet is saved, but the prospects of "Oblivion" becoming a franchise were seemingly destroyed. But never count out a big-budget Hollywood production to cook up a way to extend the lifespan of the most unexpected projects.

While promoting "Oblivion" in 2013,  director Joseph Kosinski noted that he and Cruise were passionate about the idea of doing more in this fictional universe. Specifically, the two were fixated on the concept of doing a prequel to "Oblivion," which would follow the adventures of Harper before he found out the truth about what was going on in the dystopian version of Earth. While Kosinski was hopeful the project would eventually see the light of day, "Oblivion's" decent but not extraordinary box office made the idea of doing follow-ups questionable. The constantly busy schedule of Cruise in the years after "Oblivion" sealed the deal that this prequel would never come to fruition.

War of the Worlds

Until "Top Gun: Maverick" arrived, "War of the Worlds" was the biggest film ever for Cruise at the domestic box office. The massive worldwide haul of a blockbuster like "War of the Worlds" would normally mean that a sequel would be inevitable. However, the definitive ending of the original title, which saw the aliens wiped out by earthly bacteria, already made it difficult to imagine what a sequel could look like. Still, other blockbuster sequels have been made to movies with much more impenetrable endings.

What really ensured that a "War of the Worlds" sequel would never see the light of day, though, was the deteriorating relationship between the film's star and director, Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg. Vanity Fair would later report that Spielberg grew frustrated with all the antics Cruise engaged in while promoting "War of the Worlds" (like his infamous "Oprah Winfrey Show" appearance). While the pair had collaborated just three years earlier with "Minority Report," they would never work together after their alien invasion flick. Their lack of further joint projects has doubtlessly ensured the demise of countless prospective films, including a potential sequel to the highly lucrative "War of the Worlds."

Days of Thunder

In this day and age, it can feel like every movie with a remotely recognizable brand name is getting turned into a streaming TV show. This is especially true for various titles from Paramount Pictures, which are being translated into small-screen programs to bolster the Paramount+ streaming service , such as "Fatal Attraction," "The Parallax View," and "Footloose." The most lucrative big-screen releases of yesteryear are today's fodder for streaming royalty.

One Paramount project that won't be getting that treatment, though, is "Days of Thunder." This 1990 Tom Cruise title did only okay back in the day, but it's a recognizable name, and a follow-up or remake in the form of a TV show could've driven more eyeballs to Paramount+. However, in March 2022, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Cruise vetoed the idea of translating the property into a TV show. This star loves the big screen and doesn't want any of his properties associated with streaming or bypassing theatrical exhibition. This concept was snuffed out so quickly that no details were ever released on what a "Days of Thunder" show could even look like. The age of streaming television is bringing many movies to the small screen, but don't count on "Days of Thunder" or any Cruise vehicle becoming a part of that trend.

Tropic Thunder

There were a lot of big-name movie stars running around in 2008's "Tropic Thunder," but the performance that people couldn't stop talking about came from a mostly unrecognizable actor. Buried under lots and lots of makeup and prosthetics , Tom Cruise as foul-mouthed studio executive Les Grossman stole the show. Even better, the role provided a welcome reprieve from the actor largely choosing grim projects in the 2000s like "Lions for Lambs" or "The Last Samurai." Cruise was shedding those somber parts in favor of a character who was much goofier and more prone to dancing to Ludacris tunes.

Grossman proved to be such an enjoyable scene-stealer that a spinoff of "Tropic Thunder" was commissioned that would focus exclusively on this character. By 2012, screenwriter Michael Bacall told The Hollywood Reporter that he was working on the script for the project at that time. The plan was for this feature to not only have Cruise reprise the Grossman role but also delve into the origins of this character and his temper. No further news ever came out about this spinoff, and it's not clear why it never came to fruition. Part of it may have just been Cruise's busy schedule, but it also could have had something to do with how long it had been since the first "Tropic Thunder" came out. Even a scene-stealer like Grossman can't linger on the minds of moviegoers forever.

"The Mummy" wasn't just supposed to spawn a sequel. It was supposed to be the "Iron Man" for Universal's Dark Universe, a cinematic franchise dedicated to the classic Universal Monsters. Before "The Mummy" dropped, plans were already underway for new visions of "Bride of Frankenstein" and "The Invisible Man" to emerge in a shared universe. "The Mummy" went to great lengths to establish the idea that this film occupied the same world as other movie monsters, particularly through the presence of the secret organization of Prodigium and an appearance from Russell Crowe as Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde.

All those plans got thrown a loop once "The Mummy" opened in theaters and failed to take off with audiences. While it wasn't an absolute disaster financially, it only grossed $409 million worldwide on a massive $195 million budget. Just as bad was the fact that "The Mummy" was savaged by critics , and audiences didn't seem to muster much enthusiasm for it either. This wasn't the kind of response you would want for a movie that was serving as a launchpad for an entire cinematic universe. Further projects in the Dark Universe, particularly "Bride of Frankenstein," began to get shelved throughout the end of 2017 and 2018. By early 2019, Universal officially moved on from its Dark Universe ambitions, thus cementing that audiences would never see Tom Cruise's Nick Morton character ever again.

Edge of Tomorrow 2 Talks Are Happening, Tom Cruise Could Join Quentin Tarantino’s Final Movie

Warner Bros. is hoping to bring Tom Cruise back for Edge of Tomorrow 2, while the actor is hoping to once again work with auteurs.

  • Warner Bros. hopes to convince Tom Cruise to make a sequel to " Edge of Tomorrow " following their new deal.
  • However, the sequel is unlikely to happen anytime soon due to Cruise's commitments to the next " Mission: Impossible " film.
  • Emily Blunt is also eager to return for the sequel and talks to director Doug Liman about it regularly, but timing and the passage of time may be obstacles.

The long-awaited sequel to the 2014’s sci-fi action sequel, Edge of Tomorrow , moves closer towards actually, really, finally happening, as mysterious “sources” have claimed that discussions are taking place. According to a report by Variety , Warner Bros. is hoping to get Tom Cruise to once again take the lead in Edge of Tomorrow 2 , which would no doubt pick up with his character, William Cage, and humanity’s battle with the alien race known as "Mimics."

The report also claims that Cruise could join forces with Academy Award-winning director Quentin Tarantino , who is now gearing up to helm his final movie, The Movie Critic . The project currently has no distributor, but Warner Bros., along with others, are hoping to be the ones to take claim of Tarantino’s final movie.

Cruise is reportedly hoping “to return to working with auteurs like Paul Thomas Anderson,” with the actor looking to both continue his action leading man legacy with the likes of Mission: Impossible and Top Gun: Maverick , while reigniting the award-worthy dramatic performances seen earlier in his career.

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Following the new deal between Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise and Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group , the studio is now hoping to finally coax the Top Gun star into making the long-awaited sequel to his 2014 sci-fi action outing, Edge of Tomorrow . News of the deal between the star and the studio already had fans hoping for the greenlight on Edge of Tomorrow 2 , and now, The Hollywood Reporter has stated that this is exactly what Warner Bros. has in mind.

“DeLuca and Abdy have also hoped to lure Cruise back for a follow-up to the 2104 film Edge of Tomorrow, which the studio already had in development before they took over.”

However, while this will come as very exciting news for fans of Edge of Tomorrow , the report does add that the recent deal “won’t produce anything starring Cruise anytime soon given that the star will be working on the latest and possibly last Mission: Impossible until May 2025.”

Still, the news should come as music to the ears of sci-fi and action fans everywhere, as well as Cruise's co-star Emily Blunt, who is very much up for a return. Blunt recently provided an update on the development of the long-awaited sequel to 2014’s critically acclaimed sci-fi action hit, Edge of Tomorrow . Discussing the potential for the project with Variety , Blunt revealed that she still talks to director Doug Liman about Edge of Tomorrow 2 “all the time,” and declares that not only do they hope to return, but so does Tom Cruise.

"Doug and I talk all the time about it. I know Tom wants to do it, hopefully, at some point. But it's timing, but it's also been ten years since we made it ... There was an amazing script in the works, but I think it would only have worked if we shot it eight years ago. I'm not saying we're that ancient, but you have to factor in it's been ten years."

However, while Blunt, Liman, Cruise, and now the studio all want to resurrect the Edge of Tomorrow sequel, it still sounds like there are things in the way. With the unrelenting passage of time being one of them. Still, whether it’s 10, 15, or even 20 years' time, no doubt audiences would love to be reunited with Cruise’s William Cage and Blunt’s Rita Vrataski no matter how long it takes.

From Time Loops to Sequel Talks: The Journey of Edge of Tomorrow

edge of tomorrow

Edge of Tomorrow

Edge of Tomorrow has had fans clamoring for a continuation since its release. And this is far from the first time that Emily Blunt has provided an update on the project, the possibilities of a sequel, and her fervor to return to its dynamic realm. Earlier this year, Blunt sat down with Josh Horowitz on his celebrated podcast, Happy Sad Confused . The conversation touched upon many aspects of Blunt's career, with a notable diversion into her time filming Edge of Tomorrow .

Fans of the movie will recall the imposing exo-suits the characters had to don. Blunt was candid about the physical toll it exacted on her, mentioning the lingering effects on her back. But physical challenges aside, it's evident the role still holds a special place in her heart . Addressing the clamor for a sequel, she enthused:

"I wish there could be [a sequel]. There was [a script] that Doug [Liman] kind of slithered over to me... I would love to make it a reality, but I just don't know when, or how, or how many Mission: Impossibles does [Tom Cruise] need?"

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Emily also took a moment to heap praises on her co-star Tom Cruise, highlighting his departure from the typical action-hero trope in Edge of Tomorrow .

"Come back to the side where you can be... you know, wasn't he brilliant [in Edge of Tomorrow]? He was amazing as the cowardly hero... I adored him. He was the best."

For those not familiar with the original: Edge of Tomorrow , helmed by Doug Liman and penned by Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, and John-Henry Butterworth, transported audiences to a gripping alternate reality in 2014. The narrative, marked by a relentless alien invasion of Europe, sees Tom Cruise's character, a PR officer, trapped in a time loop. With each repeated cycle, he absorbs insights to thwart the extraterrestrial menace. Assisting him in this quest is Blunt's character, a battle-hardened soldier pivotal to his evolution into a formidable opponent against the invaders.

It may not have shattered box office expectations, but the film found its unique space, clinching critical success and generating sequel chatter that's persisted for years. Naturally, everyone's asking: Will there ever be an Edge of Tomorrow 2 ?

For those looking to indulge in or revisit the original, Edge of Tomorrow awaits on streaming platforms Netflix and Max.

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