The Mummy's Temple Tabloid

All the news that fits the papyrus

Michael Almereyda's mummy awaits immortal life. According to the Internet Movie Database, the newly re-titled "Trance" has no US release dates set. Originally rumored to hit the American silver screen the day before Halloween 1998, the picture will have an eastern european release in late fall 1999, entering forever into the great pantheon of mummy movies. This gothic treat comes to us from the director of the slick vampire film Nadja (1994). The cast includes Alison Elliot (Wings of the Dove), Jared Harris (Nadja), and Christopher Walken (The Dead Zone, etc.). Plot summaries suggest that this is the Celtic mummy tale that Coppola had considered. (Fall 1998; updated Winter 1999)

"Talos - The Mummy" shown in Luxembourg. According to the Luxembourg News, the European-produced feature "Talos - The Mummy" was screened in April as part of the fourth Nuit du Film Fantastique festival. Check out images from this soon-to-be-released mummy movie in the Gallery of Gaza. (Update: Despite opening internationally in July 1998, "Talos" has yet to be picked up by a US distributor, according to Mania. We foresee a direct-to-video release.) (Summer 1998; Updated Fall 1998)

"El Santo Vs The Aztec Mummy" in development. Director Robert Rodriguez ("From Dusk Till Dawn") has turned to both the Mexican movie hero El Santo and his enemy the Aztec Mummy for his next feature. Rumored to star Antonio Banderas, this motion picture would feature special effects from the same team responsible for the visual wizardry in "From Dusk Till Dawn." For more information see Robert Rodriguez News. (Summer 1998)

"Michael Almereyda's The Mummy" in development. Almereyda will direct this picture about a scientist who goes after his niece's body as the new host for a mummy. Laurie Parker and Raju Patel have signed on as producers and the cast includes Christopher Walken, Alison Elliot, and Jared Harris. The Trimark picture is tenatively scheduled for an October 23, 1998 release. For more information see The Empire and ShowBIZ. (Summer 1998)

Hordes of new mummy movies shambling to the screen! 1998 looks to be a record-setting year with at least five different projects in development.

Talos - The Mummy

Universal's The Mummy

The Mummy or Ramses the Damned

El Santo Vs The Aztec Mummy

Michael Almereyda's The Mummy
Of these, the Stephen Somers's picture for Universal and James Cameron's "The Mummy or Ramses the Damned" are sure to be big-budget films that the studios hope will become blockbusters. (Update: Unfortunately, we have heard nothing about the Cameron project recently; our guess is that Jim currently is directing his attention toward other scripts.) Other motion pictures may be in development as well, or studios still may rush to join the mummy craze. One picture that was rumored to be in production seems to be shrouded in mystery. This picture is a Francis Ford Coppola and James V. Hart production with a story set in Ireland. This may have been an early idea for the Universal film (currently thought to be a remake of the 1932 classic) or it may be an independent project that has been put on hold. It is not, however, "Bram Stoker's Legend of the Mummy," as was previously rumored. In case you missed it, this B-grade picture set in modern day San Francisco starred Lou Gosset Jr. and was released to home video during February 1998. In any event, late 1998 and 1999 may turn out to be the biggest era for mummy movies in history. (Spring 1998; updated Summer 1998)

Cameron considers adapting Anne Rice's "The Mummy" to the screen. Acording to HotWired, blockbuster writer / director James Cameron is thinking about exploring what might live in the ancient pyramids for his next project. Cameron is famous for his fantastic, special-effects ladden movies, such as "Terminator," "Aliens," "T2: Judgement Day," and "True Lies." His latest picture, "Titanic," turns to the past for inspiration. His next film may go even further back than that. He has acquired the film rights to Rice's 1989 novel "The Mummy or Ramses the Damned." As of August 28, 1997, Rice reported to her fan club that Cameron is "full steam ahead" on production; she also indicated that she is very pleased to see him heading the project. Additional information is available on The James Cameron Tribute and Info Page and Corona. (Winter 1997-98)

Universal Studio's "Mummy" gets ready to be reawakened. More than 65 years ago, Universal awakened the first Living Mummy and started a franchise. The newest installment is an update of Universal's 1932 masterpiece "The Mummy," starring Boris Karlof. An April start date for shooting in Morocco and London has been scheduled for this remake. It is being written and directed by Stephen Somers. In this version, an American enlistee in the Foreign Legion explores the pyramids and inadvertedly reawakens The Mummy. Brendan Fraser, star of "George of the Jungle," is being considered for the part of the American. The budget for this project is rumored to be $70 million. For more informatio, see the Variety article and Corona. (Winter 1997-98)

Update on "Talos." "Talos - The Mummy" is reportedly on schedule for a 1998 release. This picture promises a fairly impressive cast: Jason Scott Lee, Louise Lombard, Sean Pertwee, Lysette Anthony, Michael Lerner, Jack Davenport, Honor Blackman, Christopher Lee, and Shelley Duvall. Leading man Jason Scott Lee previously worked with director Russell Mulcahey on "The Secret of Shih Tan" for the Hunger Series on Showtime. For more information, visit The Internet Movie Database and The First Jason Scott Lee Homepage. (Winter 1997-98)

"Talos the Mummy" in development. According to the Internet Movie Database, Carousel Picture Co. and Cine Grande Corp. are currently in the development phase of this new horror film about an evil Eqyptian god. This movie is scheduled for a 1998 release and will be directed by Russell Mulcahy. (Fall 1997)

Remake of "The Mummy" considered. Universal Pictures is thinking about resurrecting some of their monsters. On November 2 and 3, Universal broadcast "House of Frankenstein 1997," a miniseries featuring the Frankenstein monster along with a vampire and a werewolf. In a TV Guide article about the miniseries, it was reported that Universal is working on several new features, including a remake of "The Mummy." According to the Internet Movie Database, the movie will be written and directed by Steven Summers and is scheduled for a 1999 release. (Fall 1997)

"Bram Stoker's Legend of the Mummy" in production. According to the Internet Movie Database, Unapix Films and Goldbar Entertainment are producing this movie at locations in Arizona and Eqypt. It is likely based on the Bram Stoker story "The Jewel of the Seven Stars," which has been filmed previously as "Blood from the Mummy's Tomb" (1971) and "The Awakening" (1980). It is being directed by Jeffrey Obrow and is scheduled for a 1998 release. (Fall 1997)

"The Mummy's Shroud" on Laserdisc. Elite Entertainment Inc. has acquired the laserdisc rights to Hammer's 1967 "The Mummy's Shroud." A release date has not yet been announced. Currently, the only Hammer mummy movie on laserdisc is "The Mummy." For more information, see The Cinema Laser. (Fall 1997)

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