‘The Mummy’ Director Details Direction of Upcoming Dark Universe Films

In the United States, the Tom Cruise-starring The Mummy failed to impress audiences, earning only $80 million after a reported cost of $125 million. Additionally, the reviews of the film were generally poor, landing at 16% positive on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, which claimed the film lacked the “campy fun of the franchise’s most recent entries and failing to deliver many monster-movie thrills, The Mummy suggests a speedy unraveling for the Dark Universe.”

In foreign markets, the film performed markedly better, grossing more than $300 million overseas. This film kicked off Universal Studios’ Dark Universe of films, a shared universe of all of their most famous monsters. The Mummy‘s director, Alex Kurtzman, is slated to be involved in multiple installments in the universe.

When speaking of the film’s international success, IGN reports the director explained, “I think every movie will be different. I certainly know that the legacy of the monsters have endured across the world throughout the years. Almost a century. So I have to believe American audiences will find it too with the right ingredients.” As far as whether future films will cater more towards international audiences accordingly, he added, “It’s hard for me to know, is the truth.”

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In regards to the impact the disappointing reactions to The Mummy had on Kurtzman’s desires to stay involved in the Dark Universe, he confessed, “You know the truth is, I don’t know. I really don’t know.” He continued, “I haven’t really decided. Is the honest answer.”

The next installment in the Dark Universe is slated to be The Bride of Frankenstein, directed by Beauty and the Beast‘s Bill Condon, which Kurtzman is still expected to produce.

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More important than financial and critical reactions are when it comes to determining his involvement, the filmmaker detailed a much more pertinent factor in staying involved in a franchise.

“I have to stay interested in it,” said Kurtzman at the Television Critics Association press tour to promote Star Trek: Discovery. “I have to feel like my passion is there for it. I think in the case of Star Trek if your passion isn’t there you shouldn’t be doing it. “

The Mummy‘s synopsis is as follows:

“Thought safely entombed in a crypt deep beneath the unforgiving desert, an ancient queen (Sofia Boutella) 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 Mummy lands on DVD and Blu-ray on September 12.

Photo Credit: Perfect World Pictures