Stephen Sommers comments and talks about his relationship with The Mummy reboot and the future of the franchise
Stephen Sommers, the director behind the hit films The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, has expressed his displeasure at not being cast for the Tom Cruise-starrer reboot. In a recent interview, Somers shared his surprise and frustration that he was not consulted about the project. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Somers was asked if the studio had reached out to him before moving forward with the reboot. The answer was clear: “No.
Explaining why he felt insulted, the director said, “Actually, I felt a little insulted because the writers and the director insulted me. [Alex Kurtzman] Nobody contacted me about that Tom Cruise movie. I contact people if I want to control something of theirs. The third, directed by Rob. [Cohen]”He’s like my son.”
Somers added, “I didn’t want to step on his heels, so I helped produce it. But I had nothing to do with Tom Cruise. They never spoke to me or called me. I’ve been doing other things, and it’s not like I’m crying. I think it’s common courtesy.
Courtesy in Hollywood
Somers feels that even though Universal Pictures owns the rights and can do whatever they want with the franchise, considering his connection to the original films, it would be a polite move to involve him in some way.
From a practical point of view, the Tom Cruise film was a complete reboot and had nothing to do with the films directed by Somers. Universal was clearly trying to do something different and fresh with the franchise, even if that attempt didn’t go as well as they hoped. For many, Somers should consider himself lucky that he wasn’t a part of that film. However, if Universal decides to make another Mummy movie with Brendan Fraser, they should definitely get Somers.
When asked about returning to direct The Mummy with Brendan Fraser, Somers said he has not discussed it. “Everyone at Universal is new since I left. “I don’t really know them and they haven’t met me, so I don’t know what they think.”
“At the same time, it has to be something very special,” he added. I would definitely work with all those actors again.
Somers’ contribution to Dwayne Johnson’s career
In the interview, Somers reflected on how casting Dwayne Johnson as The Scorpion King helped launch his career. “He was great. I had never heard of it, but then he sent me some pictures and it was perfect. I had to do a quick movie with him as he flew to Marrakech on Wednesday and had to be in Detroit for a WWE event on Saturday.
He continued: “But wow, he was a real professional. As soon as the studio saw the dailies, the president of Universal called me and said, ‘You should write a movie.’ Somehow, over the next week or so, I came up with this idea from the movie The Scorpion King.
Mummy’s future
Currently, there is no news about the overall future plans of the Mummy franchise. However, the possibility of seeing the original characters return always keeps fans on edge. The original Mummy films went beyond redefining the horror-adventure genre, leaving an indelible mark on pop culture with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz’s performances and Somers’ visionary direction. For now, fans can only wait and imagine what Universal’s future holds for this beloved franchise.