Earlier this month, Universal unleashed the firstMummy trailer, which offered our first look atTom Cruise’s Nick Morton andRussell Crowe’s Dr. Henry Jekyll. We know that this adventure will mark the first entry in Universal’s highly-anticipated monster reboot universe, with all of these stories set in present day. While this movie will mark the origins of this new cinematic universe, it will also be a different kind of origin story as well.
Tom Cruisehad been rumored to star inThe Mummylong before he was cast, but many were surprised whenRussell Crowesigned on to play the iconic Dr. Henry Jekyll. While most assume that we’ll see Jekyll’s alter-ego, Mr. Hyde, directorAlex Kurtzmanspoke toEntertainment Weekly, teasing that this will serve as an origin story in two different ways. Here’s what the filmmaker had to say, explaining that this film will challengeTom Cruisefans in interesting ways.
“There’s an origin story happening on two different fronts. I won’t tell you too much more than that, other than to say: One of the things that I think has defined Tom Cruise movies, for 30 years, is that Tom Cruise always saves the day. You know whenever you’re in a Tom Cruise movie that he’s gonna figure out a way to save the day. And that’s great, and it’s why I pay my money to see his movies. However, in the context of amonster movie, it’s challenging, because monster movies are about characters who are often very out of control, and don’t know how to save the day. The first thing I said to Tom was, ‘It’ll be scarier if we can take away the fundamental knowledge that you’re gonna solve the problem.'”
It’s possible that the director could mean that the two different origin stories are for the title character, Princess Ahmanet, played by rising starSofia Boutella, and forRussell Crowe’s Dr. Jekyll, but we don’t know for sure.Tom Cruise’s character Nick Morton is described as an, “amoral tough guy who runs afoul of a resurrected ancient Egyptian.” This report also teases that you wouldn’t like Dr. Jekyll when he’s angry, offering another tease that this film will bring out Mr. Hyde, which had been previously hinted at in a preview about the entire Universal monster universe.
Thought safely entombed in a crypt deep beneath the unforgiving desert, an ancient queen (Sofia Boutellaof Kingsman: The Secret Service and Star Trek Beyond) whose destiny was unjustly taken from her, is awakened in our current day, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia and terrors that defy human comprehension. From the sweeping sands of the Middle East through hidden labyrinths under modern-day London, The Mummy brings a surprising intensity and balance of wonder and thrills in an imaginative new take that ushers in a new world of gods and monsters. The supporting cast includesAnnabelle Wallis,Jake Johnson,Courtney B. Vance,Javier BotetandChico Kenzari.Alex Kurtzmandirects from a script byJon Spaihts(Passengers) andChristopher McQuarrie) (Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation). Take a look at this new image below, as we continue the countdown towardsThe Mummy’s release on August 10, 2025.
