The Mummy Movie: A Century of Cinematic Undeath
A new essay on Reactor traces the history of the mummy movie from 1913 to today, examining how the figure has been reinterpreted across cultures. Early shorts like 'The Egyptian Mummy' (1913, 1914) and 'Mercy, the Mummy Mumbled' (1918) set comedic tones. Universal's 1932 'The Mummy' starring Boris Karloff defined the Western archetype, followed by sequels through 1955. Mexican cinema produced luchador films with mummies and the 'Aztec Mummy' trilogy (1957-58), while Brazil's 'O Segredo da Múmia' (1982) offered a campy, erotic take. Hammer Films' UK versions (1959-1971) emphasized action. Egypt's 'The Night of Counting the Years' (1969) used mummies as a metaphor for colonial theft. Recent iterations include the Brendan Fraser franchise (1999-2008), Tom Cruise's failed 2017 reboot, and the cult classic 'Bubba Ho-tep' (2002). The essay notes Lee Cronin's 2026 'The Mummy' and the announced 'The Mummy 4' with Fraser and Rachel Weisz.
Key facts
- The earliest mummy movie is a lost 1913 film titled 'The Egyptian Mummy'.
- Universal's 1932 'The Mummy' starred Boris Karloff and established the subgenre's tropes.
- Mexico's 'Aztec Mummy' trilogy (1957-58) blended mummy lore with Aztec aesthetics.
- Brazil's 'O Segredo da Múmia' (1982) is a pornochanchada genre film.
- Hammer Films' 'The Mummy' (1959) featured Christopher Lee as a more action-oriented monster.
- Egypt's 'The Night of Counting the Years' (1969) is a neo-realist film about tomb robbing.
- The Brendan Fraser 'Mummy' franchise ran from 1999 to 2008.
- Tom Cruise's 2017 'The Mummy' was intended to launch Universal's 'Dark Universe' but failed.
- 'Bubba Ho-tep' (2002) features Elvis Presley and JFK fighting a mummy in a nursing home.
- Lee Cronin's 'The Mummy' was released in 2026.
- Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz are set to return for 'The Mummy 4'.
Entities
Artists
- Boris Karloff
- Christopher Lee
- Brendan Fraser
- Rachel Weisz
- Tom Cruise
- Lee Cronin
- Don Coscarelli
- Elvis Presley
- JFK
- El Santo
- Blue Demon
- Alfredo Salazar
- André Bazin
Institutions
- Universal Pictures
- Universal Studios
- Hammer Films
- Vitagraph Studios
- Cinematografica Calderon
- Vitagraph Films
- Reactor
Locations
- Egypt
- Mexico
- Brazil
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Guanajuato
- North America
- Europe
- Arab world