The Mummy

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.

Mother’s Day might be this weekend, but we’ll have to wait another week for Universal Pictures’ just-announced Mummy Day, a.k.a. a whole day, starting at noon on May 20, dedicated to erecting a 75-foot-tall sarcophagus at the intersection of Hollywood and Highland in Los Angeles. Oh, and Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella, Jake Johnson, Annabelle Wallis, and director Alex Kurtzman will be there too.

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.

The calendar may have four seasons, but Hollywood’s calendar only really has two at this point: summer and awards, and summer seems to last longer and longer ever year. Though the start of May has long been the unofficial kickoff of the S.M.S., 2017 has already seen a King Kong movie, a ghost in a shell, and the fate of Fast & Furious franchise. The change from April to May is something of a formality in 2017. Once the Oscars are over, the summer begins.

June 9 is gonna be a big day in 2017: not just this writer’s birthday, not just the funniest numerical date of the year (6/9 — nice), not just the release of well-pedigreed indies Beatriz at Dinner and It Comes at Night. The day will undoubtedly be dominated by the grand debut of Universal’s remake of The Mummy starring box-office king of summer Tom Cruise and breakout star Sofia Boutella. We’ve seen the trailer, we’ve pored over the scoop that Cruise’s mummy-fighting hero will also himself be a walking-dead type, and we’ve pondered the larger implications of Universal going all-in on a connected universe of monster movies. And today, a pair of new tidbits with slake our thirst for new Mummy details.

Back when Universal announced their classic monster movie reboot series plans, many of us were quick to roll our eyes at the prospect of yet another franchise that’d pound beloved characters into the ground by sheer overexposure. And it’s a valid concern: I’ll be the first to admit that I, a superhero movies lover, have become a little bored with the formula lately. Universal, however, is taking a very cautious approach with all of this, as evidenced by the fact that they still haven’t announced a timeline a la Marvel’s various Phases.

To understand why I’m more excited than most for The Mummy, it’s important to make a list of all the things that I’m a sucker for. Tom Cruise movies? Check. Trailers or commercials that use the Rolling Stones’ ‘Paint it Black’ as a musical cue? Check-check. Movies where soldiers fight monsters? Check-check-check. In fact, if you do the math, the only thing on my Hollywood wishlist that the second The Mummy trailer doesn’t deliver is a John Wick-style gunfight, and there’s still time. One of those might still find its way into the final movie.

The Universal monster cinematic universe (UMCU) is about to launch with Tom Cruise’s The Mummy this summer, and the studio is already planning their next installment. Seemingly because he took to Aquaman like a fish to water, screenwriter Will Beall is diving into The Creature from the Black Lagoon next.

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.

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