A reboot of THE MUMMY arrives in theatres this weekend, but this is far from the first reboot Universal's classic property has received. The franchise that began when a mummified Boris Karloff rose from his tomb in 1932 was basically rebooted with the second Mummy movie Universal released, 1940's THE MUMMY'S HAND. That film left Karloff's character Imhotep at peace and introduced a new mummy, Kharis, who would go on to carry a few sequels on his bandage-wrapped shoulders. In 1959, Universal teamed up with Hammer for a mummy film that was a blend of elements from THE MUMMY'S HAND and its sequels.
A new Mummy project spent most of the 1990s in development hell, with popular names like Clive Barker, Mick Garris, Joe Dante, John Sayles, Alan Ormsby, and George A. Romero all pitching in ideas on how to bring the Mummy back in a lower budgeted horror movie. Universal abandoned the smaller, more horrific approach when writer/director Stephen Sommers came to them with an idea to mesh the concept of THE MUMMY with Indiana Jones-style adventure. The budget was given a substantial boost, the film went into production, and we got Sommers' THE MUMMY in 1999.
Starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, and Arnold Vosloo, that take on THE MUMMY had the following description:
Deep in the Egyptian desert, a handful of people searching for a long-lost treasure have just unearthed a 3,000 year old legacy of terror. Combining the thrills of a rousing adventure with the suspense of Universal's legendary 1932 horror classic, THE MUMMY is a true nonstop action epic, filled with dazzling visual effects, top-notch talent and superb storytelling.
In anticipation of the next MUMMY, JoBlo Media has produced a new installment in the Kill Counter series, one which provides a tally of every person and mummy that gets dispatched in 1999's THE MUMMY. Given the fact that Sommers' MUMMY was quite family friendly overall, you might be surprised to see just how much death was actually packed into its two hour running time.
Watch the mayhem unfold below, then if you want to see more Kill Counter videos click RIGHT HERE.
The latest reboot of THE MUMMY is set for release on June 9th.