When Universal Pictures announced its plans to reboot The Mummy franchise in 2017, it was more than just a revival of a beloved classic — it was the ambitious first step in creating a cinematic universe to rival Marvel’s. Branded the “Dark Universe,” this initiative aimed to resurrect the studio’s iconic monsters — Dracula, Frankenstein, the Invisible Man, and others — and weave them into a shared universe. The project’s cornerstone was to be The Mummy, directed by Alex Kurtzman and starring Tom Cruise. Despite its star power, substantial budget, and grand ambitions, the film became a cautionary tale of Hollywood overreach, serving as an example of how franchise-building can falter when spectacle overshadows storytelling.
A Legacy to Live Up To
The idea of a mummy rising from its ancient tomb to wreak havoc on the modern world is not new. Universal’s original The Mummy was released in 1932, starring Boris Karloff as the undead Imhotep, and became one of the studio’s most iconic monster films. The concept was successfully revitalized in 1999 with Stephen Sommers’ The Mummy, an action-adventure romp starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz that spawned two sequels and a spin-off (The Scorpion King). That trilogy embraced pulp adventure, humour, and romance — a formula that resonated with audiences worldwide.
By contrast, the 2017 version sought a darker tone, blending horror, action, and mythology in a contemporary setting. Universal wanted a blockbuster that could kickstart a sprawling interconnected universe, but in trying to serve so many masters — nostalgia, modern action audiences, shared-universe ambitions — the film struggled to find a coherent identity.
Plot Overview
The story begins in modern-day London, where construction workers uncover a mysterious tomb beneath the city’s streets. An ancient burial chamber dating back to the time of the Crusades is discovered, foreshadowing the collision of past and present that drives the narrative.
The film then shifts to the Middle East, where reckless soldier-of-fortune Nick Morton (Tom Cruise) and his partner Chris Vail (Jake Johnson) are scavenging for antiquities amid a war zone. During a mission, Nick accidentally uncovers a massive burial site. Archaeologist Jenny Halsey (Annabelle Wallis), who has been working with the U.S. military, arrives to investigate and identifies the sarcophagus as belonging to Princess Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella), a forgotten Egyptian royal who was erased from history.
Ahmanet’s backstory is one of betrayal and revenge. Once heir to the throne of Egypt, she turned to dark powers when her father’s new wife bore a son, threatening her succession. In a pact with the dark god Set, she murdered her family and attempted a ritual to bring Set into the mortal realm. She was stopped before she could complete it and mummified alive, her body sealed away far from Egypt as punishment.
Nick, Jenny, and the military transport the sarcophagus to London, but things go awry when their plane is attacked by supernatural forces. In a dramatic sequence, the plane crashes — and Nick is seemingly killed. However, he awakens in a morgue, inexplicably alive. He soon learns that Ahmanet has been resurrected and chosen him as the vessel for Set’s return. Cursed and haunted, Nick is thrust into a battle for his soul and humanity itself.
Ahmanet sets about recovering the dagger needed to complete the ritual, unleashing plagues and chaos along the way. Nick and Jenny seek help from Dr. Henry Jekyll (Russell Crowe), the enigmatic head of Prodigium, a secret organization dedicated to studying and containing supernatural threats. Jekyll, who harbors his own monstrous alter ego, believes Ahmanet must be stopped — even if it means sacrificing Nick to do so.
The film’s climax unfolds in London, where Ahmanet prepares to complete her ritual. In a twist, Nick chooses to stab himself with the cursed dagger, merging with Set’s power to gain the strength needed to defeat her. Now something more than human, Nick uses his newfound abilities to resurrect Jenny and then disappears into the desert, hinting at future stories that would never materialize.
Themes and Style
The Mummy (2017) attempts to merge several genres: supernatural horror, globe-trotting adventure, and modern blockbuster action. Themes of duality and transformation run throughout, from Ahmanet’s descent into darkness to Jekyll’s literal split personality, and most significantly, Nick’s struggle between humanity and godhood. The film also explores the idea of rewriting destiny — Ahmanet tries to change her fate through forbidden means, while Nick ultimately chooses a self-sacrificial path that reshapes his.
Stylistically, the film is slick and fast-paced, with heavy use of CGI and elaborate set pieces. Sofia Boutella’s portrayal of Ahmanet brings a physical intensity and eerie menace to the role, while the production design impressively recreates both ancient tombs and modern urban chaos. However, critics noted that the film’s tone felt uneven — oscillating between dark horror and quippy action-comedy — and that it struggled to balance its mythological roots with its modern ambitions.
Production Challenges and Studio Ambitions
The production of The Mummy was marked by behind-the-scenes tension and shifting creative visions. Universal invested heavily, with a reported budget of $125–195 million, and placed enormous pressure on the film to succeed as the launchpad for the Dark Universe. Tom Cruise, who was both star and producer, wielded significant creative influence. Reports emerged that Cruise had considerable control over the script and editing, emphasizing his character’s heroism and screen presence — decisions some critics believe undermined the ensemble nature and horror tone originally envisioned.
Director Alex Kurtzman, known more for producing (Star Trek, Transformers) than directing, faced the challenge of balancing Cruise’s action persona with Universal’s monster-horror legacy. The result was a film that often felt pulled in competing directions — part Mission: Impossible-style action spectacle, part supernatural thriller, part cinematic universe prologue.
Reception: A Critical and Commercial Letdown
Released in June 2017, The Mummy debuted to disappointing reviews. Critics criticized its muddled tone, underdeveloped characters, and overreliance on setting up future stories rather than telling a satisfying standalone narrative. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 16% approval rating, with the consensus describing it as a “bloated, formulaic attempt to kickstart a cinematic universe without understanding what made the original monsters compelling.”
Audiences were more forgiving but still lukewarm. The film grossed $410 million worldwide, which on paper seems substantial, but after factoring in its massive production and marketing costs, it was considered a commercial disappointment. Universal’s hopes for the Dark Universe crumbled almost immediately. Plans for Bride of Frankenstein (with Angelina Jolie), The Invisible Man (with Johnny Depp), and others were shelved or reworked. The elaborate shared universe roadmap — complete with cast photos and logos — was quietly abandoned.
Legacy and Reassessment
Despite its failure to launch the Dark Universe, The Mummy (2017) remains an interesting case study in Hollywood franchise-building. It illustrates the risks of prioritizing shared-universe ambitions over coherent storytelling and the challenges of rebooting beloved properties for modern audiences. While the film’s narrative missteps and tonal inconsistencies are widely acknowledged, it is not without merit. Sofia Boutella’s performance was praised for bringing depth and physicality to Ahmanet, and the film’s action sequences — particularly the zero-gravity plane crash — were technically impressive.
In the years since its release, The Mummy has been reexamined by some viewers who appreciate it as a bold, if flawed, experiment. Its blend of mythology and modernity, while not fully realized, hints at intriguing possibilities for how classic monster stories could evolve. Moreover, Universal eventually found success with a different approach: Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man (2020), a standalone film with a modest budget and strong storytelling, was both a critical and commercial hit. This pivot suggests that audiences respond better to focused, character-driven monster stories rather than expansive, universe-building spectacles.
Conclusion: A Missed Opportunity in Monster Cinema
The Mummy (2017) set out to resurrect a cinematic legacy and forge a new path for Universal’s iconic monsters. Instead, it became a cautionary tale about the dangers of chasing franchises over films. Its uneven tone, competing creative visions, and preoccupation with setting up future movies undermined its own story. Yet, beneath the missteps lies a film with ambition — a desire to blend ancient myth with modern action, and to explore timeless themes of power, destiny, and transformation.
Ultimately, The Mummy stands as both a reminder of the enduring allure of monster mythology and a lesson in how not to relaunch it. It may not have delivered the Dark Universe Universal envisioned, but it remains a fascinating chapter in the evolving history of monster cinema — one that underscores the importance of story over spectacle, and of letting individual films stand on their own before building worlds around them.
