Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz may be going back to the desert. On November 4, 2025, Deadline reported that the two stars are in talks to return for a new Mummy movie at Universal Pictures, with Variety publishing its own report the same day. Radio Silence, the filmmaking duo behind Scream and Ready or Not, is set to direct.
What did Deadline and Variety report?
Deadline's report, published November 4, 2025, states that "Universal Pictures is returning to one of its most beloved action-adventure franchises," with Fraser and Weisz in talks to reprise the roles they made famous in the 1999 original and its 2001 sequel. Variety's same-day report says the pair "are reuniting for another 'Mummy' adventure," and notes that Fraser led the 1999 film while Weisz appeared through the 2001 sequel. Both outlets frame the project as a continuation of the Fraser-era trilogy rather than a follow-up to the 2017 reboot. Neither report includes a release date, and Universal's representatives declined to comment to Deadline.
Who is directing the new Mummy movie?
Radio Silence — filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett — will direct, per Deadline's report, working from a script by David Coggeshall. Variety describes the duo as "best known for 2019's 'Ready or Not' and reviving the 'Scream' franchise for Paramount in 2022." The producers listed in Deadline's report include franchise veteran Sean Daniel, who produced the original trilogy, along with Project X Entertainment. On the confirmed record, that is the full creative team: director duo, screenwriter, and producers, all named by a trade publication of record.
What has Brendan Fraser said about returning?
Fraser has been open to the idea on the record. Variety's report notes that the actor previously told the outlet he would be open to returning to the role of Rick O'Connell "if someone came up with the right conceit." That earlier interview quote, now paired with reported negotiations, is what makes this moment significant in his career arc: the actor, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for The Whale, would return to the franchise that defined his 1990s and 2000s stardom. Nothing is signed until Universal or the actors' representatives confirm it — and this publication will report it that way when they do.
Why does this chapter matter for Fraser's career?
For Fraser, the reported project caps a remarkable second act. After the Mummy trilogy made him a global action star, an Oscar-winning performance in The Whale brought him back to the center of Hollywood, and a return to Universal's adventure franchise would reunite him with Weisz on screen for the first time in over two decades. For now, the honest status is exactly what the trades reported on November 4: talks, a director, a studio, and no deal announced. It is a career phase worth watching — and one documented entirely by named publications, quote by quote.
