Rachel Weisz is officially back as Evelyn O’Connell, reuniting with Brendan Fraser 25 years after The Mummy Returns. And suddenly, the past has a whole new adventure waiting.
Hollywood loves a comeback. But every once in a while, a comeback actually feels earned. That’s where The Mummy 4 comes in. Twenty-five years after Rachel Weisz last appeared as Evelyn O’Connell in The Mummy Returns, new set photos have given fans their first glimpse of the actress back in character—and yes, she’s sharing the screen with Brendan Fraser, who is once again stepping into the boots of Rick O’Connell. For anyone who grew up watching the O’Connells run, fight, flirt and somehow survive whatever ancient curse was thrown their way, this isn’t just another franchise revival. The O’Connells are home.
Rachel Weisz Just Reopened A Very Familiar Tomb
Weisz’s return is arguably the piece of this reunion that makes the new movie feel different. Evelyn wasn’t simply Rick’s partner. She was the brains, the historian and often the person who understood what everyone else was accidentally unleashing. Her presence helped give the original Mummy movies their personality and brought a sense of adventure that went beyond CGI spectacle.
Now, she’s back. The newly surfaced production photos show Weisz in period costume while filming is underway, immediately transporting fans back to the world established by the 1999 original and The Mummy Returns. And that’s the interesting part is that The Mummy 4 isn’t trying to pretend the franchise never existed. It’s reaching backward to move forward.
Forget 2008. The O’Connell Story Continues
The new installment is being positioned as a direct sequel to the first two movies, while reportedly leaving 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor outside of its continuity. That decision makes the direction pretty clear.
Rather than continuing every branch of the franchise, the filmmakers are going back to the foundation audiences connected with most: Rick, Evelyn and the world that made their story work. Maria Bello previously stepped into the role of Evelyn for the 2008 installment after Weisz’s departure. Weisz later pushed back against reports that she disliked the screenplay, calling those claims false. Now, the character is back where longtime fans remember her. With Weisz.
Brendan Fraser’s Return Just Got Even Bigger
Fraser’s comeback to the franchise was already enough to get people talking. But bringing Weisz back changes the conversation. The two actors were more than co-stars. Their chemistry became part of the identity of the first two films, balancing romance, comedy and action without making any one element overpower the others.
Fraser has described returning to the franchise as “like seeing an old friend again”. That sentiment may actually be the perfect description for what audiences are experiencing. Because for fans, seeing Fraser and Weisz together again isn’t about recreating 1999 frame for frame. It’s about seeing what happens when two characters who helped define a generation of adventure movies finally get another chapter.
A New Generation Gets Its Turn
Behind the camera, The Mummy 4 is getting a fresh creative team. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the filmmaking duo known as Radio Silence, are directing. Their previous work includes Ready or Not, giving the new film directors with a background in genre filmmaking and a different perspective on how to build tension, humor and spectacle.
David Coggeshall wrote the screenplay, with James Vanderbilt and Sean Daniel producing. Production officially began September 7th, shortly after Fraser appeared at the Deauville American Film Festival. The actor reportedly told Canal+ that he had to be back at work the following Monday. That timing says plenty about where this movie is right now. The nostalgia is real, but production is moving.
The Tomb Opens Earlier Than Expected
Universal Pictures has also moved the release date forward. Originally scheduled for May 19th, 2028, The Mummy 4 will now hit theaters on October 15th, 2027. The film is still untitled, and the plot remains tightly guarded. Which, honestly, might be exactly how it should be.
A movie called The Mummy shouldn’t hand you the whole mystery before you’ve even entered the tomb. For now, we have the images, Fraser, and Weisz. Witht hat being said, we have a franchise going back to the characters that started it all. Twenty-five years later, Evelyn O’Connell is back and if The Mummy 4 understands what made the original films special, this won’t feel like Hollywood digging up an old franchise just because it can. In doing so, it’ll feel like the adventure finally came back for us.
