Russell Crowe

We’re less than a week away from Universal’s latest attempt to launch a Dark Universe, and fans are still uncertain as to what’s in store for their favorite iconic horror characters. With stars like Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe on board, will The Mummy be more action-packed than horrific? Does Cruise have another hit franchise on his hands  —  to go along with the Mission: Impossible and Jack Reacher films  —  or will fans wish that this particular mummy had remained dead?

Universal’s Dark Universe is kicking off with Tom Cruise’s The Mummy, which is only a week away(!!!). While we know that this movie will, indeed, feature a mummy who is hunting down Tom Cruise for some reason (I mean, weren’t we all, at some point in our lives?) a few things still remain a mystery. What is Russell Crowe’s Dr. Jekyll’s role in all this? How did Cruise and his team of archaeologists stumble upon the mummy’s tomb anyway? And why does she want Tom Cruise so badly?

Universal is going dark.

Many fans of Bryan Singer’s 2000 X-Men movie know that Dougray Scott was originally cast in the role of Wolverine before bowing out due to scheduling conflicts with Mission: Impossible 2. That being said, it’s Russell Crowe’s connection to the film that make for the most interesting bit of Hollywood trivia. As the story goes, Crowe was Singer’s first choice to play Wolverine, but the actor passed, suggesting instead that the filmmaker look at fellow Australian Hugh Jackman. The rest, as they say, is history.

From the outset, it seemed like Russell Crowe’s part in The Mummy might be more of a glorified cameo, with his role as Dr. Jekyll teasing the larger world of “gods and monsters.” Not only does this new featurette from the upcoming reboot reveal that Crowe has a much more significant role to play, but it also gives us our first (very brief) look at his famous other half, the sinister Mr. Hyde.

If we’re being honest with each other, I’m not typically a big fan of behind-the-scenes videos and features. These days they all seem the same: an actor jumps in front of a blue background and lands on a blue foam pad, and everyone stands up and smiles at each other for a job well done. My one big exception is Tom Cruise movies. Cruise’s action films are a testament to doing things the hard way, so every highlight reel of the actor slamming into cars, hitting his head against walls, or getting punched in the face is a testament to a dying trade.

Universal’s The Mummy will soon be upon us, poised to unleash its wrath of ancient magic, curses, and hopefully a lot less bloodthirsty scarabs than the Brendan Fraser version. While you wait for Sunday’s new trailer, please enjoy the new teaser above, as well as a brand-new poster featuring the terrifying Princess Ahmanet.

It’s probably time to admit that we take Ridley Scott’s films more seriously than Scott himself. While we argue over cinematic universes, director’s cuts, and unnecessary sequels, Scott is out there having a good time making whatever movies pop into his mind at any given moment. Sometimes that means promising another half-dozen Alien movies before his newest one has even been released. Sometimes that means producing a Blade Runner sequel that few people wanted. And sometimes, just sometimes, it means bringing back a Roman warrior from the literal dead.

Casting rumors come in two major flavors. On the one hand, you have concrete news about actors meeting with executives and filmmakers to discuss their participation in upcoming productions. On the other hand, you have the echo chamber of social media, where casting rumors can materialize out of thin air and then be given credibility during an interview or social media exchange with an actor. Not all fan rumors end up at the first stage, but it is true that some social media rumors have actually ended up with the actor being offered the role.

Behold, for your viewing pleasure: a photo of Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe looking at one another.