If you’re a horror fan, Lee Cronin’s name probably still sends shivers down your spine after the blood-soaked success of Evil Dead Rise. Naturally, when it was announced that Cronin would be tackling a reimagining of The Mummy, expectations skyrocketed. However, the road to the big screen has been rocky, with whispers of troubled productions, title changes, and disastrous test screenings circulating online.
Thanks to new reports from Feature First, we can finally separate fact from fiction. Here is everything we know about the plot, that infamous “vile” scene, and why James Wan reportedly walked out.
A Bold, Twisted Reinterpretation
Forget the adventure-romance of the Brendan Fraser era or the Tom Cruise action vehicle. Cronin is taking this back to pure horror. The synopsis describes the film as a “bold and twisted reinterpretation” of the classic lore.
The story centers on Charlie (Jack Reynor), a journalist, and his wife (Laia Costa). Their lives are shattered when their daughter, Katie (Emily Mitchell), is cursed by a mysterious woman in the desert and subsequently disappears without a trace.
The twist comes eight years later. A plane carrying a sarcophagus crashes, and the contents are revealed to be none other than a now-grown Katie (played by Natalie Grace). She returns to her family, but the reunion is far from joyful. As you might expect from a Cronin film, Katie isn’t the girl she used to be, and she brings a dark, mysterious force home with her.
The “Disastrous” Test Screenings
While the concept sounds intriguing, the execution is apparently causing friction behind the scenes. Reports indicate that the film, which currently sits at an approximate 2-hour runtime, tested “extremely poorly.”
Whether this was due to the quality of the film or a creative disagreement remains to be seen, but a producer walking out on their own film is rarely a good sign.
The Scene That Goes “Too Far”
Lee Cronin is known for not holding back on gore (remember the cheese grater scene in Evil Dead Rise?), but rumor has it he may have pushed the envelope too far this time.
Sources describe one specific scene as “truly vile,” comparing it unfavorably to the body horror found in films like The Substance. The scene reportedly involves a scorpion crawling into a character’s mouth and severing their vocal cords.
If that wasn’t enough, another character then has to stick their fingers down the victim’s throat to manually press on the severed cords just to allow them to speak. It sounds gruesome, inventive, and deeply uncomfortable—exactly what we’d expect from Cronin, though it may be too much for mainstream audiences.
The Cast
Despite the drama, the film boasts a solid ensemble cast:
- Jack Reynor as Charlie (The journalist father)
- Laia Costa as Charlie’s wife
- Natalie Grace as Katie (The returned daughter)
- Emily Mitchell as Young Katie
- May Calamawy as a Detective
- Hayat Kamille as the “Gypsy woman” (The source of the curse)
- Shylo Molina and Billie Roy as Charlie’s other children
- Veronica Falcón in an undisclosed role
When Can We See It?
Regardless of the backstage turbulence, the machine is moving forward. Produced by heavy hitters New Line Cinema, Atomic Monster, and Blumhouse, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is slated for distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Mark your calendars (or prepare your stomachs) for April 17th, 2026.
DC Fanboy! Superman is the greatest comic book character of all time. Favorite movies are Man of Steel, Goonies, Back To the Future
