The Mummy is rising once again — but this time, she’s bringing terror instead of treasure hunts. Blumhouse and Atomic Monster have released the first trailer for The Mummy, unveiling a chilling reinvention of the classic monster under the direction of Evil Dead Rise filmmaker Lee Cronin. The teaser confirms a bold new direction for the franchise, swapping action-adventure spectacle for unsettling supernatural horror.
Rather than ancient curses and heroic explorers, the story centers on a deeply personal mystery. The film follows a journalist whose young daughter, Katie, vanishes in the desert under unexplained circumstances. Eight years later, she suddenly returns. What initially seems like a miraculous reunion soon spirals into fear as her family realizes the girl who came back may no longer be entirely human.
The trailer offers little direct exposition, choosing instead to immerse viewers in haunting imagery. Quick cuts show a small, bandaged mummy-like figure, flashes of violence, spurts of blood, and swarms of crawling insects. An eerie voice repeats a single question throughout: “What happened to Katie?” The effect is disturbing and atmospheric, promising a slow-burn descent into terror rather than a traditional monster spectacle.
This marks a dramatic shift from earlier Mummy films. The late-1990s Brendan Fraser trilogy leaned into swashbuckling adventure, humor, and romance. The 2017 Tom Cruise reboot attempted to launch a shared monster universe but leaned heavily on action. Lee Cronin’s version abandons both approaches in favor of grounded, nightmare-driven horror. Given Cronin’s previous work on The Hole in the Ground and Evil Dead Rise, audiences can expect intimate fear, disturbing visuals, and relentless tension.
Cronin has previously teased his vision for the film, promising something entirely new for the franchise. He described digging “deep into the earth to raise something very ancient and very frightening,” suggesting a monster story rooted in primal terror rather than spectacle.
The film stars Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, and Verónica Falcón. Production is handled by Blumhouse and Atomic Monster in collaboration with New Line Cinema — studios known for successfully reinventing horror icons for modern audiences.
With its disturbing premise, unsettling visuals, and horror-first approach, The Mummy appears ready to deliver one of the darkest monster reboots in recent years.
The film is set to arrive in theaters on April 17.
