Universal Pictures has unveiled a new behind-the-scenes featurette forThe Mummy, and it’s all aboutRussell Crowe’s Dr. Jekyll…and of course Mr. Hyde. The film will mark the beginning of an interconnected universe of Universal Monsters movies, withBill Condonrecently coming onboard to helmBride of Frankensteinwhile other pics likeVan HelsingandThe Wolfmanare in the works. And it appears that the major connective tissue fromThe Mummyto these other future films will be the Dr. Jekyll character.
Tom CruiseleadsThe Mummyas Nick Morton, who unleashesSofia Boutella’s powerful Mummy character and must seek the help of Dr. Jekyll, who specializes in studying monsters. Jekyll heads up Prodigium, a society dedicated to analyzing and fighting monsters, and this featurette gives us some footage of the interactions between Nick and Dr. Jekyll as Cruise, Crowe, and directorAlex Kurtzmandiscuss these character dynamics. And towards the end of the clip, we get a brief glimpse of Crowe’s transformation from Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Hyde.
It feels like Prodigium is being set up as the driving force behind the various monsters that might arise in future films, which is smart. Crowe can be sort of the Nick Fury of the Universal Monsters Universe, with Prodigium also grounding the creatures in a science-based reality of sorts. It’ll be curious to see if heroes like Cruise will carry over into other films as well, or if this interconnected universe is more about the creatures themselves. Either way, Cruise is one of our most reliable performers, Crowe is an excellent actor, and the potential here is strong, so I’m incredibly excited to see whatThe Mummyhas in store for audiences.
Check out the newThe Mummyfeaturette below. Scripted byChristopher McQuarrie(Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation) andJon Spaihts(Passengers), the film also starsAnnabelle Wallis,Jake Johnson, andCourtney B. Vance.The Mummyopens in theaters on June 9th in 3D, 2D, and IMAX 3D.
Here’s the official synopsis forThe Mummy:
Thought safely entombed in a tomb deep beneath the unforgiving desert, an ancient princess (Sofia Boutella ofKingsman: The Secret ServiceandStar Trek Beyond) whose destiny was unjustly taken from her is awakened in our current day, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia and terrors that defy human comprehension.
From the sweeping sands of the Middle East through hidden labyrinths under modern-day London,The Mummybrings a surprising intensity and balance of wonder and thrills in an imaginative new take that ushers in a new world of gods and monsters.
