The Mummy Director Remembers Brendan Fraser’s Dangerous Stunt in 1999 Action Film

As The Mummy celebrates its 25th anniversary, director Stephen Sommers looks back at the franchise and a dangerous stunt that took out star Brendan Fraser. The Mummy opened in 1999 to mediocre reviews, but it grossed over $400 million worldwide and spawned two sequels, a reboot and a spin-off. The sequel, 2001 The Mummy returns, also directed by Sommers, received even weaker reviews but still grossed $443 million worldwide. The spin-off, The Scorpion Kingstarring Dwayne Johnson, didn’t fare as well, earning a 41% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics and earning only $180 million worldwide.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Sommers opens up about dangerous stunt that knocked Fraser unconscious. The stunt took place when Fraser’s character, Rick O’Connell, is hanging from a rope. The stunt is common and is usually performed by a model wearing a bag on her head, but Sommers and his team, perhaps seeking authenticity, used Fraser instead, which had unintended consequences. Read the full quote below:

We had a great stunt team, but Brendan is a big, tough guy, and he was younger at the time. We kind of beat him to death. Everyone is talking about the scene where he gets hanged. Usually when someone is hanged, it’s a mannequin, and that’s why they put bags over people’s heads. Brendan was always enthusiastic and he would say, “Give me back the vise real tight.” » Then he decided to let his knees sag a little. But what he forgot is that
as soon as you put that much pressure on your carotid arteries, it knocks you out.
We all looked, and he’s completely unconscious. Everything was fine and he recovered in 10 seconds. But he woke up saying, “What happened?”

Does The Mummy hold up 25 years later?

The Mummy has reached cult favorite status

The Mummy and its sequel have somehow received cult status over the years, even if the same cannot be said of his successors. Besides the third film and the spin-off, the 2017 The Mummy The reboot, which starred Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe, was critically panned, but it grossed more than $400 million at the box office. However, recent failures have not prevented The MummyCult status, as the film is still held in high esteem by fans.

Much of the film‘s long-running success could be attributed to Fraser’s performance as the tough but endearing Rick. Fraser has had some comeback in Hollywood, like his performance in the 2022s The whale won him an Oscar. He also starred in the Martin Scorsese film Flower Moon Killers, hinting that the actor could become much more active in the years to come. At the same time, his performance as Rick remains a favorite among many.

The MummyThe stunts and visual effects have also aged well over the years, not to mention the terrible CGI of Johnson’s Scorpion King in the second film. Sommers himself stated that he was ready to work with the actors of his Mummy franchise again, but the reunion should be for something truly special. With Fraser’s return to Hollywood and continued interest in Egyptian traditions, The Mummy the franchise’s return, while unlikely, is not completely out of the question.

Source: THR