The Mummy: Book of the Dead — Brendan Fraser & Rachel Weisz Reunite After 25 Years

Universal Pictures has titled its long-awaited Mummy sequel. On October 15, the studio announced that The Mummy: Book of the Dead will open in theaters on October 15, 2027. That is one year to the day after the reveal. The news reunites Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz as Rick and Evelyn O’Connell for the first time in 25 years.

What Is The Mummy Book of the Dead?

The announcement came through the franchise’s official X account with this message: “In one year, The Mummy: Book of the Dead opens.” So far, Universal has kept plot details under wraps. Still, the cast list tells its own story.

Fraser returns as Rick O’Connell. Weisz returns as Evelyn, a role she last played in 2001’s The Mummy Returns. John Hannah is back as Evy’s brother Jonathan Carnahan. Oded Fehr reprises Ardeth Bay, and Arnold Vosloo returns as Imhotep. Kevin J. O’Connor also comes back as Beni Gabor. His character died in The Mummy Returns. Michael Johnston and Numan Acar join in undisclosed roles.

Behind the camera, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett will direct. The duo — better known as Radio Silence — works from a screenplay by David Coggeshall. Fraser also executive-produces, with longtime franchise producer Sean Daniel returning. Brian Tyler composes the score. Filming began in early September 2026 in London, Suffolk, and Morocco.

Why the Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz Reunion Matters

The real headline is not the title — it is who is coming back. Weisz has not played Evelyn since 2001. For 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Maria Bello took the role. However, audiences never accepted the switch. As a result, many fans still blame the recast for that film’s weak reception. So Book of the Dead ignores the third film and works as a direct sequel to the first two.

The timing could not be better. Fraser won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2023 for The Whale. Weisz is an Oscar winner herself for 2005’s The Constant Gardener. Their reunion gives Universal what no reboot could: the actual O’Connells.

Rachel Weisz smiling at a 2024 red carpet event — Rachel Weisz returns as Evelyn O’Connell for the first time since 2001’s *The Mummy Returns*. Photo: Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Fraser has wanted this for years. On The Tonight Show in May, he told Jimmy Fallon, “We’re gonna get the band back together. We are going to give the audience what they have been bothering all of us for, for the last 20-whatever years.”

The Mummy Franchise Timeline: Every Film So Far

Here is the full journey:

Year	Film	Director	Leads	Worldwide Box Office
1999	The Mummy	Stephen Sommers	Fraser & Weisz	$415.9M
2001	The Mummy Returns	Stephen Sommers	Fraser & Weisz	$435M
2008	The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor	Rob Cohen	Fraser & Maria Bello	$403M
2017	The Mummy (reboot)	Alex Kurtzman	Tom Cruise	$410M
2027	The Mummy: Book of the Dead	Radio Silence	Fraser & Weisz return	TBD

The two originals earned roughly $850 million worldwide combined. After that, the franchise lost its way. First, the 2008 film replaced Weisz and underwhelmed. Then the 2017 Tom Cruise reboot tried to launch Universal’s planned Dark Universe. It flopped, killing that entire project overnight. In other words, nearly two decades of misfires proved a single point: audiences want Fraser and Weisz.

What the Book of the Dead Actually Is

The Real Ancient Text Behind the Sequel’s Title

The title is a deep-cut reference. The real Book of the Dead is an ancient Egyptian funerary text. It is a collection of spells placed in tombs to guide the deceased through the afterlife. In the 1999 film, Evelyn reads aloud from a black-bound copy. As a result, she accidentally awakens the cursed priest Imhotep. Later, it strips him of his powers. Then in The Mummy Returns, it resurrects him once more. So the title is not just branding. It names the object that started everything.

A sheet from the Book of the Dead of Hunefer, an ancient Egyptian funerary papyrus — The real Book of the Dead: a sheet from the funerary papyrus of Hunefer, the ancient Egyptian text that awakens Imhotep in the 1999 film. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Set photos suggest a late-1950s setting, according to Parade. That would age the O’Connells into a new chapter. Universal has confirmed nothing about the story. Nevertheless, the mythology gives the writers plenty of cursed material to work with.

What’s Next for The Mummy: Book of the Dead

Cameras are already rolling. The one-year countdown has begun. With filming underway and a locked release date, the next milestones are clear. First, expect a first-look photo, then a teaser trailer, likely in early 2027. The big open questions: How does the story account for 25 years? What drags the book back into the O’Connells’ lives? And can Radio Silence deliver the swashbuckling adventure tone fans remember? The duo built its name on horror hits like Ready or Not and Scream VI.

Hollywood is betting big on legacy reunions right now. For example, HBO just ordered a five-episode revival of Girls with its original cast. A 2027 Baywatch reboot is coming too. But few reunions carry the emotional weight of this one.

For now, fans can do what they have done best for two decades: wait, rewatch, and count down. Will Book of the Dead be the reunion the series deserves? Tell us what you most want to see in the comments below.