Book of the Dead: Title Announced for The Mummy 4

Finally! The title of "The Mummy 4", starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, has been announced. The new installment in the popular adventure series will be called "Book of the Dead". The title is sure to immediately evoke nostalgic memories for longtime fans. The legendary book already played a crucial role in the first "The Mummy" movie. With its help, the high priest Imhotep was accidentally brought back to life, unleashing the film's central threat.

One of the most exciting revelations surrounding "The Mummy 4" concerns the series' continuity. That's because the third installment, "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor", released in 2008, will simply be ignored in this sequel. Aside from the third installment being omitted from the canon, there is still no information available about the plot of "The Mummy 4". However, some of the filming is taking place on the streets of London .

The Cast: A Reunion with Old Friends

Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz are by no means the only returning cast members from the original films. John Hannah, another essential part of the series, is back on board. He's reprising his role as the chaotic and charming Jonathan Carnahan, who provided plenty of laughs in the first films. But that's not all: Oded Fehr is also returning as Ardeth Bay. His character always lent the series a mystical depth and delivered outstanding action scenes.

However, it's a completely different casting decision that's causing a huge stir among fans: Kevin J. O'Connor is also set to return as Beni Gabor. Anyone who remembers the first film from 1999 knows that Beni was ambushed by flesh-eating scarabs back then and met a tragic end. How his character will be brought back is currently still under wraps. The obvious assumption, of course, is that he has magically become one of the living dead. Fans know, of course: Death is only the beginning.

In addition to the returning cast members, there are, of course, some new faces. Among them is "Obsession" star Michael Johnston in a role that has yet to be revealed. A little speculation on our part: His age today would roughly match that of Rick and Evelyn's son – at any rate, much better than it did in "The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor": Back then, the role was played by 27-year-old Luke Ford. As a reminder: Seven years earlier, their son was just 8 years old.

We're curious to see how the balance between old and new cast members will ultimately play out: Based on the currently known cast, however, the film will primarily revolve around the characters from Parts 1 and 2. Incidentally, Arnold Vosloo's return has not yet been confirmed, even though there's a lot of speculation about it. John Hannah had hinted in interviews that there were talks with the actor who plays Imhotep. However, the actor has in the past expressed a rather negative view of a possible involvement.

A Directorial Duo: Meet the Filmmakers

Two people are taking the director's chair: the proven duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, also known as Radio Silence. Their previous films include "Ready or Not", "Abigail", and the successful sequels "Scream 5" and "Scream 6". The screenplay is by David Coggeshall, who has previously worked on the "Scream" series and "Orphan: First Kill".

The theatrical release of The Mummy 4

Filming is already in full swing, and there's fantastic news regarding the theatrical release as well. Universal Pictures has significantly moved up the original schedule. The film was originally set for release in May 2028. But the studio swapped release dates with the action project "Miami Vice '85".

For you, this means: "The Mummy 4" is hitting theaters about seven months earlier than expected! The official theatrical release is now scheduled for October 15, 2027. This decision clearly demonstrates the studio's confidence in the production. Work is progressing rapidly, and fall 2027 is shaping up to be all about big-budget adventure films.