Introduction
What made The Mummy (2017), a Tom Cruise blockbustercum across $125M, a joke rather than the opening of a franchise? Was the issue with the script? The studio greed had a devilish foray into something of a Marvel universe? Or had star power finally hit its limit when it came to Cruise?
Now, we will peel back the curtains.
And this is more than just a movie review-an autopsy of Hollywood hubris and creative chaos and the whole monster universe goes to the grave from a single flop.
The $400 million gamble of universalism-private dark universe building on quicksand.
What did this horror-lead movie want just in 2017? – Infinitely above that of superheroes, or the krakens, vampires and mummies. How will they make it happen, though?
Star Power: From Tom Cruise to Russell Crowe and Johnny Depp for a run-of-the-mill Invisible Man.
Hire Big Names: Star Trek writer Alex Kurtzman to direct.
Market the Hell Out of It: A pretentious Dark Universe press launch with cast photos straight from a corporate retreat.
What Went Wrong?
Rushed Production: Script rewrites during filming.
Tone Deaf Marketing: Sold as \”Tom Cruise vs. Mummies,\” ignoring horror fans.
The Marvel Envy: Forcing universe-building into every scene.
Behind the Chaos: Director\’s Regret and Cruise\’s Control
Alex Kurtzman\’s \”What Was I Thinking\” Moment
Kurtzman (a first-time director) later admitted:
The studio demanded more action, less horror.
Cruise pushed for character rewrites to make his role \”more heroic.\”
The plot became a Frankenstein\’s monster of ideas.
Tom Cruise\’s Power Play
Stunt Obsession: Zero-G plane crash. Cruise insisted on doing it for real, cost $2M…but added zero value.
Creative Clashes: Fought to cut scenes focused on Sofia Boutella\’s mummy (the film\’s only bright spot).
Result: A film that dared to be Indiana Jones, Mission: Impossible, and The Mummy…and failed miserably at all three.
H2: The Aftermath: A $95M Loss and a Dead Universe
Box Office Bomb:
Budget: 125 M + 125M + 150M marketing.
Global earnings: $409M (barely breaking even after theaters then take their cut).
Death of the Dark Universe Immediately:
Planned movies (Bride of Frankenstein, Van Helsing) were put in the vault.
Meanwhile, Universal did quietly reboot with low-budget hits like The Invisible Man (2020).
Tom Cruise\’s from-the-dead bounce back:
Ran back to Mission: Impossible.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022) became his biggest hit ever. Lesson: Stick to what works.
FAQs About The Mummy Tom Cruise Movie
Q: Is this related to Brendan Fraser\’s Mummy?
A: Nope. Fraser\’s was fun. Cruise\’s is a grim corporate product.
Q: Did Tom Cruise blame the director?
A: Not publicly. But insiders say he \”took over\” reshoots.
Q: Any good parts in the movie?
A: Sofia Boutella\’s mummy. She acted her heart out… in a film that didn\’t deserve her.
Q: Will Dark Universe ever return?
A: Unlikely. Universal\’s done with forced universes.
The Final Takeaway
The Mummy (2017) warns audiences:
Desperation can be smelled by audiences. And Flop go forced universes.
Even star power has limits. Bad scripts cannot be sold, even to Cruise.
Horror needs heart, not CGI alone.
Rather, watch the 1999 Mummy again. It at least knew that it was ridiculous.