I
Prison break
Intended as the first film in the Universal
Monsters series, which will see the studio
resurrecting many of its most famous
villains including Count Dracula, The Wolf
Man, The Invisible Man and the Bride of
Frankenstein, The Mummy casts Cruise in
the role of Nick Morton. While running for
his life in Egypt, Nick unearths – literally
– an ancient tomb. At least that’s what the
archaeologists think it is. As it transpires, it’s
actually a prison built to hold the ultimate evil.
That evil turns out to be French-Algerian
actress Sofia Boutella (Kingsman: The Secret
n the brilliant behind-the-scenes
featurette on the official The
Mummy website, director Alex
Kurtzman reveals a fascinating
titbit about his forthcoming summer
blockbuster. According to Kurtzman,
leading man Tom Cruise told him that The
Mummy is bigger than anything he’s ever
done before. That’s Tom Cruise we’re talking
about, folks – star of Top Gun, the Mission:
Impossible films, Edge of Tomorrow and
Jack Reacher. If he thinks this movie is epic,
then you know you’re in for a real treat.
16 odeon.co.uk
Service) or rather her character Princess
Ahmanet. Many millennia ago, Ahmanet
was destined to be the next Queen of Egypt,
but her bloodlust and thirst for power saw
her subjects rising up against her (which,
in ancient Egypt, of course, means wrapping
her in bandages and sealing her in a
sarcophagus. While still alive... Nice!).
Now, thanks to Nick, this incredibly
“It’s going to keep you
on the edge of your seat.
It’s a hell of a lot of fun!”
Tom Cruise
powerful being is awake again and she won’t
rest until she has “remade the world into her
own”. Can Nick with help from Russell Crowe’s
Dr. Henry Jekyll (yes, that one) stop her?
Heavy on the horror and even heavier on
the action, The Mummy is a thrill-a-minute
affair. As Cruise puts it, “It’s like being on
a rollercoaster ride – that’s what this film is
going to deliver. It’s going to keep you right
on the edge of your seat,
you’re not going to take
your eyes off the screen.
It’s a hell of a lot of fun!”
Fun, yes. But affecting
too. There’s the potential
for sparks between Nick
and Annabelle Wallis’
kick-ass archaeologist
and you might even find
yourself sympathising with
our titular rogue royal.
“Sofia Boutella brings
a true humanity to The
Mummy, even when she’s
doing horrifying things,”
promises Kurtzmann.
We’ll leave the last word
to Boutella herself. “The
audience can expect to be
excruciatingly terrified,”
she declares enticingly.
Erm, anyone else want
their mummy?