The wait is over. On October 15, 2026, Universal Pictures announced through the franchise’s official social accounts that the fourth installment of its blockbuster adventure series will be titled The Mummy: Book of the Dead. The studio also confirmed that the film will open in theaters on October 15, 2027 — exactly one year after the title announcement — with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz reuniting on screen as Rick and Evie O’Connell for the first time in 25 years.

The title reveal is the biggest update yet on a project that has been one of Hollywood’s most-requested comebacks for more than two decades. The Mummy: Book of the Dead will be a direct sequel to The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (2001), the two Stephen Sommers films that turned Fraser and Weisz into one of the most beloved adventure duos in movie history.

The Mummy: Book of the Dead cast: Fraser and Weisz are back

Brendan Fraser will reprise his role as treasure hunter-turned-adventurer Rick O’Connell, and Rachel Weisz will return as Evelyn “Evie” O’Connell, the former librarian whose quest to uncover the lost Egyptian city of Hamunaptra accidentally awakened a cursed high priest in the original film. It will be Weisz’s first appearance as Evie since 2001 — Maria Bello took over the role for 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, which the new film will effectively bypass.

John Hannah is also back as Jonathan Carnahan, Evie’s bumbling brother, alongside returning franchise players Kevin J. O’Connor and Oded Fehr, according to reporting from Variety. Newcomers Michael Johnston and Numan Acar round out the announced ensemble.

Production is already underway in London and Morocco

The reunion isn’t just on paper. Principal photography on The Mummy: Book of the Dead began on September 7, 2026, with production taking place in London and Morocco. On October 14 — just a day before the title announcement — Entertainment Weekly reported that Fraser and Weisz were photographed in costume on the London set, smiling together between takes in images obtained by its sister outlet PEOPLE.

Fraser himself confirmed the production start earlier this fall. During an interview at the Deauville Film Festival on September 7, he told French television network Canal+ that the fourth installment had officially started production, per EW. He had been teasing the movie for months: on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in May, Fraser told the audience, “We’re gonna get the band back together — the only way to do it, right?” — and promised to “give the audience what they have been bothering all of us for for the last 20-whatever years.”

“What we’re gonna do is saddle back up, go back to the locations,” Fraser added on the show, joking that he was working to “get this 57-year-old gear in shape” for the role.

Radio Silence directs The Mummy: Book of the Dead

Behind the camera, Universal has handed the franchise to the directing duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, collectively known as Radio Silence — the filmmakers who revived the Scream franchise with 2022’s Scream and Scream VI, and directed the vampire ballerina horror film Abigail. The screenplay comes from David Coggeshall (The Family Plan, Orphan: First Kill), with the story specifics still under wraps.

Gillett has described the script in glowing terms, saying that their “radar for jumping into another franchise” after Scream required the project to “feel special” — and that Coggeshall’s screenplay does exactly that. Bettinelli-Olpin echoed the sentiment, noting that he doesn’t believe Fraser and Weisz would have signed on unless they loved the script.

On the producing side, longtime franchise architect Sean Daniel is back — he has produced five previous titles in the Mummy series — alongside William Sherak, James Vanderbilt, and Paul Neinstein of Project X Entertainment, with Clayton Townsend also producing. Fraser serves as an executive producer with Hivemind’s Jason F. Brown.

What The Mummy: Book of the Dead means for the franchise

The title announcement confirms that The Mummy: Book of the Dead will continue the story of the original films rather than restart it. Universal has described the film as a continuation of the earlier Mummy movies, and EW reports that it is a direct sequel to the 1999 film and The Mummy Returns despite the existence of the third installment.

That positioning matters. The 1999 The Mummy introduced audiences to Rick O’Connell, a dashing American adventurer, and Evelyn Carnahan, an eccentric librarian, whose search for Hamunaptra ended with the accidental awakening of the cursed high priest Imhotep. Driven by then-groundbreaking visual effects and a signature blend of action and comedy, the film was a massive commercial hit, earning more than $409 million globally, according to Box Office Mojo. Its 2001 follow-up, The Mummy Returns, performed even better, taking in $436.5 million worldwide, and introduced Dwayne Johnson’s Scorpion King, who later headlined the 2002 spinoff The Scorpion King — Johnson’s first leading role.

The 2017 reboot starring Tom Cruise, by contrast, was a separate entity that flopped with critics and at the box office, effectively ending Universal’s plans for a connected Dark Universe of classic monsters. The new film’s team and cast signal a deliberate return to the tone and characters fans actually loved.

What we don’t know yet

Plot details for The Mummy: Book of the Dead remain firmly under wraps. Universal has not disclosed the story, and the studio’s announcement focused entirely on the title and release date. The “Book of the Dead” name refers to the ancient Egyptian funerary texts — a fitting choice for a franchise built on awakened curses — but exactly what artifact, expedition, or villain awaits Rick and Evie is unconfirmed, and anything beyond the official announcement should be treated as speculation.

One thing that is certain: the October 2027 release window gives Universal a full year to build toward the reunion that fans have demanded for decades. Horror fans have a crowded calendar ahead — including Robert Eggers’ Christmas horror film Werwulf and Blumhouse’s Jessica Chastain-led Other Mommy — but The Mummy: Book of the Dead is now the biggest franchise event circled for fall 2027.

The Mummy: Book of the Dead FAQ

When does The Mummy: Book of the Dead come out?
The film is scheduled for release in US theaters on October 15, 2027, exactly one year after Universal announced its title.

Are Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz both returning?
Yes. Fraser reprises his role as Rick O’Connell and Weisz returns as Evelyn “Evie” O’Connell. It will be Weisz’s first appearance as Evie since The Mummy Returns (2001); Maria Bello played the character in the 2008 sequel.

Who is directing The Mummy: Book of the Dead?
The directing duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, known as Radio Silence, will direct from a screenplay by David Coggeshall.

Is the new film connected to the 1999 movie?
Yes. The Mummy: Book of the Dead is described as a continuation of the earlier Mummy films — a direct sequel to the 1999 film and 2001’s The Mummy Returns. Plot details have not been revealed.