KUALA LUMPUR — The Mummy franchise has had its highs — and its share of creative misfires.

The original The Mummy (1932), directed by Karl Freund and starring Boris Karloff, launched a culturally influential legacy, spawning numerous sequels and adaptations over the decades.

For many audiences worldwide — including in Malaysia — the version that endures is The Mummy (1999), written and directed by Stephen Sommers.

Widely popular upon its global release, it was the kind of film you’d find sold out in VCD shops at the time.

That revitalisation of the 1932 classic hit with charm, humour and adventure, brought to life by a cast including Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Kevin J. O’Connor and Oded Fehr.

The story follows an ancient, cursed priest accidentally resurrected, unleashing supernatural terror, as a daring adventurer and a resourceful librarian race to stop him.

Its success led to two sequels, a spin-off and a fourth film reportedly planned for release in 2028.

Sommers’ take has shaped audience expectations of what a Mummy film should be for years. It became the defining formula, making it difficult to imagine the genre done differently.

Even the 2017 version starring Tom Cruise — intended to launch the “Dark Universe” — largely followed a similar approach.

Now, in 2026, director Lee Cronin enters with a new vision that redefines what a Mummy film can be.

This latest version follows Katie Cannon, the young daughter of a journalist named Charlie Cannon, who disappears into the desert without a trace.

Eight years later, her fractured family is stunned when she is suddenly found — but what should be a joyful reunion quickly turns into a living nightmare.

The cast includes Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, Verónica Falcón, May Elghety, Shylo Molina, Billie Roy and Emily Mitchell.