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Len Wiseman Tackling The Mummy Reboot
Set to unwrap it for 2014

25 September 2012  |  Written by James White  |  Source: Deadline




Wow. If someone were looking for a way to generate more outraged frothing online, we weren’t sure they could top the foam-generating combo of a remake (The Mummy) with producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci and one of the writers of Prometheus, Jon Spaihts. But, Imhotep bless ‘em, the team have found a way, grabbing Len Wiseman to direct the eventual film.

Yup, the man who most recently re-made Total Recall is reuniting with the duo who brought him in to direct the pilot for their Hawaii 5-0 TV reboot. You can almost hear the gnashing of teeth from here.

But of course, not a frame of the movie has been shot yet, and Wiseman does at least have some experience bringing supernatural creatures to life with the Underworld movies. And you can't deny that Total Recall looked pretty. (Ducks torrent of fresh abuse).

Apparently, while Universal did rather handsomely on Stephen Sommers’ all-action trilogy, the studio is OK with the new team going a little freakier. “When I first heard Universal was relaunching this, that is the image that popped into my head, the period tale, the old monster, but when Bob and Alex pitched it, there was a great new take and approach, and a very different mummy as well,” Wiseman tells Deadline. “It’s a darker twist on the material, a scarier version.”

“One of the things that interested me with this mummy is, he’s still in essence a man,” Wiseman says. “They haven’t turned his brain into a monster brain. He still has a personality and is very cunning and calculating. He’s a true character in any form, and in creature form, even if he is that staggering creature, it becomes more important that he’s a thinking, calculating person.”

Er… You guys do realise that Sommers’ version of the character wasn’t a shuffling monster thing either, right? And that even the 1932 Boris Karloff version had more to it?

Either way, assuming it wraps – fnarr – on time, expect this one to hit in summer 2014. We await the news of Kate Beckinsale's casting in the meantime. 


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Your Comments

Wait and see
It may be just fine, die hard 4.0 was really good fun and a BIG well paced action movie. Lets reserve judgement until its out. But then I also really liked the original sommer mummy movie and don't particularly like the shawshank redemption so my opinion on here is about as respected as dale winton if he ran for governor in Texas :) More

Posted by mclane1 at 16:44 on 28 September 2012 | Report This Post

Total Recall, Robocop, spider-man..... Now the mummy???
This remake business has to stop.... You would have thought Hollywood learnt from Total Rubbish, I mean recall's mistake. And for Len wiseman...... Even if he was to direct an episode of footballers wives, he would make it sh!ttier than it really is!!!!! Guillermo del toro, David Fincher or Darren Aronofsky for directing!!!! More

Posted by shaz_smiley at 15:45 on 27 September 2012 | Report This Post

RE: Len Wiseman Tackling The Mummy Reboot
Watkins is a good choice. If it was a straight up horror show, all creepy and threatening, I'd be interested. More

Posted by Kazuya at 12:47 on 27 September 2012 | Report This Post

RE: Len Wiseman Tackling The Mummy Reboot
Universal must be utterly stupid. Given that 'auteur' directors are being used for action movies these days, why the hell not offer it to a big name director wanting a 'make a 'proper film' from the generic template of a series' gig? Make it about the whole graverobbing thing/vengeance upon the robber not knowing what he is disturbing, and all that, but make it with some filmmaking craft, as a new start, not a post Sommers project, seeing as Sommers didn't create the damn idea? Or giv More

Posted by jobloffski at 12:39 on 27 September 2012 | Report This Post

RE: Len Wiseman Tackling The Mummy Reboot
Haha, really? The Mummy by Len Wiseman? That has about as much appeal for me as a kick in the balls with a steel-tipped workboot. More

Posted by Kazuya at 12:24 on 27 September 2012 | Report This Post

RE: Pointless!
here's an idea why don't we wait see the film then if it's crap then slag it off. While they may not be 5 star classics  both Underworld 2 and Die Hard 4.0 were not that bad. More

Posted by NCC1701A at 09:17 on 27 September 2012 | Report This Post

Pointless!
Another pointless rehash that nobody wants. And with the mediocre Wiseman in the chair we can only hope this idea gets shelved! More

Posted by dannyfletch at 23:24 on 25 September 2012 | Report This Post

RE: Len Wiseman Tackling The Mummy Reboot
Urgh...is anyone really mourning the Mummy fanchise, and has Len Wiseman really made a good film yet? Hopefully one day Hollywood will learn that not every franchise needs to be rebooted every few years - it's OK for some of them to have run their course and be left alone. More

Posted by Super Hans at 20:40 on 25 September 2012 | Report This Post

Wow, another pointless three star (at best) film in the making.I dread to think it may be classed as a "horror". Cue lots of pointless screaming and running from the "victims" and lots of noise from the mummy. I cant believe for a second that the mummy will be "cunning and calculating." Jumping out of a hiding places will not constitute cunning. Having said that though, I am sure it will add a minor amount of fun for a night out with friends (who like this crap) if More

Posted by Leonard or Sammy at 15:01 on 25 September 2012 | Report This Post

the bad side of wrong
Oh dear.. this could be CG-tastic. Empire throwing their lot in with Wiseman (looks pretty? You guys have watched Avatar too man times. Go watch Huston or hawks movie - as opposed to pretending to like them. You fool none of us hahahaha). Seriously though - if Wiseman can go practical he could yet deliver something worthwhile - But looking at his background it seems unlikely. At what point will these producers (yes you two in particular who are also writers) and directors start to realis More

Posted by blindfold at 13:35 on 25 September 2012 | Report This Post

Newsflash - Wisemen to remake GI Joe.
It's gonna be shittier than the shit original. More

Posted by Porter at 13:31 on 25 September 2012 | Report This Post

I read somewhere that Len said...
...his reboot is gonna be scarier than the original. No, Len. Like all your films, it's just gonna be shittier. How does this dude get work? He's films are rubbish. And as for remaking The Mummy? Not exactly Raiders of the Lost Ark to begin with was it, so perhaps he is the right guy for the gig after all. More

Posted by Porter at 13:29 on 25 September 2012 | Report This Post

Not So Much...
I liked the Underworld films but after Total Recall....see ya later Wiseman. More

Posted by bamamike at 13:06 on 25 September 2012 | Report This Post

Ok.....(deep breath)
Total REcall was a damn good movie; NOT as good as the Arnie one, but it was closer to the tone of the original story by Philip K Dick; watching the sequence where Ferrel starts his day to work made me relalise, I am COlin Ferrel....my life sucks, my job sucks...Arnie didn't seem to have a crap life....he was married to Sharon STone for gods sake! ANyway WIseman can direct a good movie; as long as it has no vampires, Mummies don;t count so I'm hopeful for this. More

Posted by dgribble at 13:01 on 25 September 2012 | Report This Post

I can see the connection ...
... between Sommers and Wiseman. Neither of them would know a decent script if Aaron Sorkin smacked them on the @ss with one. More

Posted by Nicky C at 12:24 on 25 September 2012 | Report This Post

I can't really see where they want to go with this. A lot of people hate the Stephen Sommers Mummy's, which is fair enough, I can see why. I just happen to enjoy them (the first one at least. Not so much on the others). I really can't imagine anyone doing anything interesting with a remake of The Mummy. I can only picture myself being horrendously bored throughout the whole thing. More

Posted by nashnash at 12:11 on 25 September 2012 | Report This Post

No Bone Sense
Didn't he just make a total failuire out of the Recall remake? He more garbarge this guy makes the more high-profile gigs he gets in return. He should be blackballed for never having made a good movie in his life. More

Posted by burtbondy at 10:23 on 25 September 2012 | Report This Post

RE:
L: Whistler It does sound a bit like he's talking about Frankenstein. 'm looking forward to the premiere when the audience discovers that Wiseman's made cinema's most faithful adaptation of Frankenstein only with a mummy in the monster's place. And he doesn't understand what the problem is. the man who most recently re-made Total Recall is reuniting with the duo who brought him in to direct the pilot for their Hawaii 5-0 TV reboot. You can almost hear the gnashing of teeth f More

Posted by FoximusPrime at 09:38 on 25 September 2012 | Report This Post

Wow
That Sommers film was such trash. I had to endure it the same day I got dumped. Tragic. I would say however, that it's about Wisemans pedestrian level. I wonder what part his cyborg wife will play. I can just imagine this to be the worst film ever made. More

Posted by professoryaffle2000 at 09:22 on 25 September 2012 | Report This Post

If Wiseman can drop the bad CGI, unfunny jokes and Indiana Jones rip-off aspects of the Sommers movies and get back to real horror, he may have something. More

Posted by BenTramer at 08:19 on 25 September 2012 | Report This Post

RE:
Did decent enough with Underworld, I'm cautiously optimistic. More

Posted by NeoBrowser at 05:18 on 25 September 2012 | Report This Post

It does sound a bit like he's talking about Frankenstein. More

Posted by Whistler at 04:43 on 25 September 2012 | Report This Post

Hmmm...
Since when did The Mummy stop being horror? Forgive me, but as a bit of mindless fun, Underworld and Die Hard 4.0 were pretty good, but neither gives any indication of Wiseman being able to bring the scares! At least Sommers attempt was creepy (until the cgi monstrosity turned up!) there are so many horror newcomers who should be high up on the recommended viewing list of the producers. And your very right about Beckinsale! More

Posted by othersideuk at 03:51 on 25 September 2012 | Report This Post


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