It’s been 25 years since The Mummy (1999) brought the cursed priest Imhotep back to life, starring Rachel Weisz and Brendan Fraser. Directed by Stephen Sommers, the film became a defining action-adventure classic, blending horror and thrills while riding the Tomb Raider-inspired wave of the era.
Though criticized for whitewashed casting and cultural simplification, The Mummy’s mix of adventure and scares—like flesh-eating scarabs and Imhotep’s gruesome regeneration—left a lasting impact. Universal Pictures hoped the film would reboot their classic monster lineup, but recent attempts, including Tom Cruise’s reboot and the failed Morbius and Renfield, fell flat.
The success of The Mummy shows that simplicity and strong storytelling, not overcomplicated universes, are key to reviving these iconic monsters for modern audiences.
