Brendan Fraser’s Biggest Blockbuster Is Climbing Streaming Charts
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The “Brenassaince” is upon us, with Brendan Fraser’s biggest hit, The Mummy, somehow reaching the top 10 on HBO Max. FlixPatrol has the exact numbers, which point towards an even better showing for the classic action-adventure film next week, as it is currently third in most of Latin America. Also starring Rachel Weisz and Arnold Vosloo, the 1999 blockbuster has stood the test of time.
After making a name for himself in comedies, including Encino Man and Airheads, Brendan Fraser was given the chance to be the dashing leading man in a big budget action film. The Mummy is a reboot of the classic Universal monster movie from 1932, with Fraser as Rick O’Connell, a legionnaire that stumbles across Hamunaptra, the Egyptian City of the Dead. Weisz plays librarian Evelyn Carnahan, the reincarnation of Imhotep’s forbidden love, the reason he was cursed to live forever as an undead mummy.
Through the 1980s, Universal Pictures had wanted to remake The Mummy, which came closest with zombie maestro George Romero at the helm. At one point, Clive Barker was also attached to the project, but by 1996, the remake was scrapped. With Stephen Sommers at the helm, a pulp remake moved forward, originally offering Tom Cruise the lead instead of Brendan Fraser, which is ironic now given the failure of Tom Cruise’s own The Mummy film.
Fresh off of the box-office success of George of the Jungle, Brendan Fraser was cast because he understood that the character of Rick did not take himself too seriously, leaning into the pulp-action feel of The Mummy. Audiences responded to Fraser’s take on the character, propelling The Mummy to the best non-holiday May opening, and ninth-best opening of all time. A total worldwide box office of over $400 million made it a simple matter for Universal Pictures to greenlight a sequel.
Even after two more movies, with diminishing returns, Brendan Fraser’s career high-water mark remains The Mummy. Fraser’s Batgirl directors, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, are heavily rumored to be directing a reboot of the film. While at the moment there is no sign of Fraser being involved in the new movie, one of his Mummy Returns co-stars is attached to the project.
Dwayne Johnson had his first big-screen role in The Mummy Returns as the villainous Scorpion King, making such an impact that he went on to star in a prequel, which then launched its very own action franchise. It’s unknown right now what role Johnson will have in the new project, whether it’s as the villain again or as the new lead. No matter what role he has, Brendan Fraser’s shadow will loom over the film, reflecting the general public’s love of his swashbuckling portrayal of Rick.
Currently, Brendan Fraser’s career is on the upswing again, as demonstrated by The Mummy becoming popular with a whole new generation of fans. The star can be seen in The Whale, which opened last week in wide release, alongside Stranger Things star Sadie Sink. Fraser’s next release will be as part of the ensemble cast in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro.
