Introduction
How did a $125M Tom Cruise starrer become a punchline in the Hollywood town?
The Mummy (2017) was not only a bad movie but also a corporate disaster lined with tokens for Universal\’s Dark Universe before the curtains even opened.
But how? How did Cruise\’s star power fail? How did critics tag it as \”a soulless CGI parade\”? And what lessons did Hollywood learn?
Cursed productions and the ugly face of greed will be dug into, and this flop became a textbook for what not to do.
Universal\’s Dark Universe Dreams: Ambition Met Arrogance
In 2017, Universal wanted octopus humour, as in a sketchy sort of cult-like Marvel. Their blueprint?
A list cast: Cruise in the lead role, Russell Crowe as Dr. Jekyll and then Johnny Depp was whispered for The Invisible Man.
Big directors: Alex Kurtzman (Star Trek) directing, Chris Morgan (Fast & Furious) writing.
Level of pretentiousness to launch:
Surreal, awkward announcement photo of the Dark Universe looking like some regular corporate LinkedIn post.
The reality:
Six re-writes of the script were occurring while the film was shooting.
Studio executives wanted more action, less horror.
Cruise campaigned for his character to be, and we quote, \”less morally gray\” capable and \”more Tom Cruise.\”
Tom Cruise Maneuver: When Star Power Blows Back
Cruise isn\’t just an actor. He\’s a brand. But here, his power was choking the very life out of the film.
Behind-this-wicked-scene:
Stunt That Became Obsession: Cost to insist on practically shooting the zero-G section plane crash according to the script $2M. Damage to the overall relevance: Zero.
Character Creep: Reduced Sofia Boutella\’s mummy (the only truly interesting thing in the film) into a backdrop for villainy.
Tone Death: From horror rebooting to high-octane Mission: Impossible with mummies.
The Fallout:
Critics slaughtered it!
Die-hard fans of the campy 1999 Mummy said that the film had finally insulted them enough.
The $400 Million Disaster: By the Numbers
Let’s lay out the numbers:
Budget: 125M production+150M marketing.
Box office worldwide: 409M (basically breaking even since theaters cut in).
Rotten Tomatoes: 16% critics and 35% audience.
The domino effect:
Bride of Frankenstein starring Angelina Jolie was shelved.
The Dark Universe logo disappeared from Universal\’s website overnight.
The Silver Lining: Lessons from the Flop
The Mummy wasn\’t totally useless: it taught Hollywood a bit.
Forced Universes Flop: Marvel took a decade to build theirs; Universal wanted it in one fine film.
Star Power ≠ Success: A bad script can even break Cruise.
Horror Needs Heart: The audience wants blood and chills, not CGI sludge.
Universal’s Fix:
They went on to quietly reboot the regime with low-budget, director-driven successes like The Invisible Man (2020).
Lesson learned: Better story than star contracts.
FAQs About The Mummy Starring Tom Cruise
Q: Is this connected to Brendan Fraser\’s Mummy?
Nope. Fraser\’s was a good time. Cruise\’s was a boardroom product.
Q: Did Tom Cruise apologize for the flop?
Never. Probably the best learning experience in his career, but then it was right back to Mission: Impossible.
Is there going to be a sequel?
The Dark Universe is dead. Let it die.
Q: Anything good to say about it?
Sofia Boutella\’s performance. Oh, and the memes.
Final Thoughts
The Mummy (2017) is a remnant of an \”universe or bust\” era in Hollywood.
It is a lesson in hubris.
A cautionary tale regarding excess dominated by stars.
That no one is larger than their narration.
Check out The Mummy (1999) again because it was at least aware of its ridiculousness.