For whatever reason, the mystique of Ancient Egypt has captivated many people, young and old, for almost as long as that phase of Egypt’s culture has been considered “ancient”. Perhaps it is the splendor of the elaborate, gigantic pyramids, the final resting place of powerful pharaohs and the stunning amount of engineering know-how that would have been necessary to create such monuments. Maybe it is the arcane style of writing known as hieroglyphics whose pictorial representations of events is both fascinating and mysterious. But one cause of perpetual fear and wonder is the idea of mummies, embalmed corpses wrapped in white strips of material for religious purposes. What if these mummies, and other Ancient Egyptian icons like scarabs and cobras, came back to life in full force as part of a mysterious curse? The popular movie The Mummy and its sequels deal with this question.

Although the 1999 version of The Mummy is the one that most people nowadays would point to as the beginning of the series, it is actually an updated version of a 1959 film of the same name. Producer James Jacks of Universal Studios wanted to expand upon the original Mummy movie and create a title that would bring the story to the 1990s, but he was originally only given the go-ahead for a low-budget production. Many directors were recruited to try to create a story that would be acceptable to the producers and able to meaningfully stay within the budget. The first was horror filmmaker Clive Barker, but extended negotiations between him and Universal Studios became too drawn out and Barker lost interest. George A. Romero’s conception of the story proved to be too gruesome and scary for the producers, who desired a movie that would appeal to a broader audience. Joe Dante’s version came close to being accepted, but was then turned down because the projected budget would exceed that which the studio was willing to spend. Finally, after a couple of other turn-downs, director Stephen Sommers got the chance to direct the new Mummy movie. This happened for a variety of reasons, including Universal Studio’s desire to raise the budget to $80 million from $15 million in order to create a movie similar to their more successful franchises from years past.

With the search for a director out of the way, the movie was able to start production. Filming began in Morocco and lasted for seventeen weeks, although there were many problems during the filming, such as poisonous insects, sandstorms, the scorching heat, and a near-fatal mishap with star Brendan Frasier during a hanging scene. A large amount of the budget was spent on special effects in order to separate the movie with past Mummy movies as far as looks went. The movie went on to be a box office success, grossing $43 million in theaters in the United States, and it went on to gross $415 million worldwide. Critical response to the movie, though, was mixed. Most critics praised the special effects for their impressiveness but stated that such lavish computer-generated scenes detracted from the soul of the movie and did not allow for the brooding atmosphere of the original movie to surface. Others praised the acting but complained that the movie did not take itself seriously enough and was rather gaudy. Regardless of critical opinion, though, the movie was certainly a commercial success and very popular with audiences.

Brendan Fraser stars as American Rick O’Connell, a captain in the French Foreign Legion who goes to Hamunaptra in order to find the lost treasure said to be hidden there, but he is thwarted when a group of Arabs attack him. They flee rapidly, though, when an ominous voice speaks and the sand morphs itself into a face, fearing the supernatural event. Three years later, it is revealed the Rick was imprisoned and that the brother of a Cairo librarian, Evelyn Carnahan, stole an intricate box and map from him. Rick strikes a deal with Evelyn that he will lead her to Hamunaptra in exchange for his freedom from prison, and she agrees. Together, she and Rick, along with a band of treasure hunters, a famed Egyptologist, and a man in Rick’s unit who deserted him during the fight, head to Hamunaptra, where they find the Book of the Dead and the Book of Amon-Ra. Whereas Evelyn reads aloud from the Book of the Dead and summons forth the evil Imhotep, only reading from the Book of Amon-Ra can make him mortal. She does so, and Rick is able to end deal a mortal wound to Imhotep, who promises revenge as he dies. The heroes ride off into the sunset, bags packed with loot.

The 2001 sequel, The Mummy Returns, picks up nine years after the previous adventure, with Rick and Evelyn exploring a pyramid and finding the bracelet of Anubis Once they are back in London, their son Alex accidentally starts the countdown for the evil Scorpion King to reawaken by donning the ancient bracelet. He is also kidnapped by an Egyptian cult who has resurrected Imhotep in order to complete their nefarious desires. Alex learns that he has to make his way to the Temple of the Scorpion King in seven days or his life will be sucked out of him, and Rick and Evelyn, along with some companions, embark to save him. Through a series of adventures and misadventures, the team is able to save Alex and kill Imhotep and the Scorpion King. Everyone from the 1999 film reprised their role in The Mummy Returns, and the film was an even bigger blockbuster than The Mummy. Once again, critical responses were mixed, but that did not stop the movie from succeeding, grossing over $430 million.

On August 1st, the sequel to The Mummy Returns will be released, called The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. The now-retired Mr. and Mrs. O’Connell must stop the tyrannical Han, who was resurrected after a 2,000 year course. Emperor Han wishes to rebuild his empire with his enormous Terracotta Army and his control of the five elements, and the chances to stop him are slim. His main opposition comes in the form of the protagonists as well as the also-resurrected remains of his former enemies who were killed by Han. While Brendan Fraser will reprise his role as Rick O’Connell, Rachel Wiesz, who played Evelyn, will be replaced by Maria Bello. The film is directed by Rob Cohen instead of Stephen Sommers, who was skeptical if there was enough energy from the cast and crew to make a third movie. There certainly was, and filming began in Montreal and China, with the casting changes taking place in April 2007. Besides the shift from Ancient Egyptian to Ancient Chinese culture, the character of Evelyn O’Connell is also said to have changed to become more forceful and direct. Sequels to The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emporer are already slated to be made, with actress Maria Bello stating that she has already signed on to be a part of it.

Maybe undead mummies are not really real, but one can never know if ancient curses do or do not exist. Until you see an embalmed corpse walking down the street, though, you can always enjoy a thrilling action-adventure in the form of The Mummy and its sequels.