‘The Mummy’ Reboot Plot Details Revealed?

Seeing as shared universes are all the rage these days, Universal is preparing one of their own starring the studio’s classic movie monsters – Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, and so on. This shared monster universe officially kicked off earlier this month when Universal released Dracula Untold, a new spin on the vampire’s tragic origin.

Untold was met with mixed reviews upon its release, with our own review calling the film “relatively fun in its depiction of the monster in a different light,” but not a particularly “masterful” or “deep” re-introduction to the character. Though this isn’t to say Untold is a terrible starting point for a shared monster universe; for example, Man of Steel also received mixed reviews upon its release and stills stands as the beginning of DC and WB’s shared superhero movie universe.

Next in Universal’s series of monster movies is their reboot of The Mummy. This film has endured more than a few setbacks, having lost not one but two directors – Underworld‘s Len Wiseman followed by Andy Muschetti (Mama). Last we heard of the project, Alex Kurtzman had signed on to direct and the film had been given an official release date of summer 2016.

As for the film’s script, Kurtzman previously worked with his then partner, Roberto Orci and Prometheus and Doctor Strange screenwriter Jon Spaihts on a version that would be set in the present day with a “family-friendly action-adventure tentpole” tone. Now, new possible plot details emerge from Superhero Movie News, who claim to have laid hands on a copy of the script. Here’s their description of the film’s opening scene:

“The story follows Navy Seal Tyler Colt and his mission in the Iraqi desert to find a group of terrorists hiding out in a bunker. To him and his teams surprise the terrorists within the bunker turn out be nothing more then some grave robbers who have all magically died. Upon entering the bunker Tyler and his team also succumb to some mystical forces out of their control. They soon realize the bunker they have infiltrated is actually a centuries old tomb. Mayhem erupts as all the Navy seal members start turning on one another and are captivated by the forces within the tomb. Tyler is the only one to make it all the way deep within the tomb alive to find an Black Iron Sarcophagus. It’s marked with Egyptian symbols like the Ankh and Eye of Horus. Here Tyler is entranced by the forces to open up and release what is inside. But after placing his hand onto the sarcophagus he is immediately stabbed in the palm with a star shaped symbol. From then on his mind is cursed with visions of Ashurbanipal, King of Assyria…..The Mummy.”


For clarity reasons, Superhero Movie News notes that the character of Tyler Colt doesn’t become the mummy, but rather becomes a man on the run after his encounter in the tomb. Colt then later on becomes the only one capable of stopping the mummy once he’s resurrected, due to their previous connection.

If this scene is actually from The Mummy reboot’s script then it sure reads like a plausible opening scenario. Setting the mummy’s tomb within modern day Iraq and having it discovered by a group of Navy SEALs on the hunt for terrorists definitely complies with giving the film a present day setting. As does having that scene’s only surviving Navy Seal become the film’s protagonist.

the mummy reboot loses director The Mummy Reboot Plot Details Revealed?

Superhero Movies News goes on to mention the film’s other characters: archeologist ‘Jenny Halsey,’ a shady billionaire ‘Lorenzo Montanari,’ and leader of the Temple Brothers, ‘Malik.’ Again, these are the generally expected roles when presenting any re-telling of The Mummy as you need an archeologist to unearth the tomb, someone to fund the expedition, and a wise native to warn against it.

And at this point – if these plot details do in fact turn out to be true – then this reboot appears to be following the setup of 1999′s reboot of The Mummy to a ‘t’. Which wouldn’t necessarily be a terrible plan, seeing as that film was widely successful in kicking off its own trilogy. Plus, it was also a family-friendly adventure: just what Kurztman is looking for in his Mummy installment of Universal’s shared monster universe.

What do you think of these rumored plot details from Universal’s reboot of The Mummy? How do you see this version of the mummy fitting in a shared monster universe with Dracula Untold‘s Vlad Tepes? Sound off in the comments below!

The Mummy is expected to release in theaters on June 24th, 2016.