This article originally appeared on eightieskids.com

It was originally developed as an R-rated horror

Studio Universal originally had a hit with The Mummy way back in 1932. They started developing a reboot in the late 80s, originally envisaging it as an R-rated horror franchise. George A Romero, Clive Barker, Joe Dante and Mick Garris were all attached at different points, until the studio decided to make the project PG-13, and entrusted it to Stephen Sommers (fresh from Deep Rising).

Tom Cruise was offered the lead role, but he passed

The Mummy’s hero Rick O’Connell was made iconic by Brendan Fraser, but the first actor offered the role was Tom Cruise, who was interested but ultimately declined. It wouldn’t be until 2017 that Cruise finally took the lead in a Mummy movie, but the film from director Alex Kurtzman proved a notorious critical and commercial failure.

Brendan Fraser was “choked out” for real shooting the hanging scene

Early on in The Mummy, Rick is sentenced to death by hanging before Evelyn makes a bargain to save him. Alarmingly, Fraser came close to being hanged for real when the rope around his neck was pulled a little too tight. He stopped breathing, and had to be resuscitated by emergency medical technicians on the set.

CGI had to be used to preserve Rachel Weisz’ modesty when her white dress got wet

The Mummy features plenty of CGI, mostly to create monsters, insects and some backdrops, but it had another use you might not have expected: concealing the accidental exposure of Rachel Weisz. When the characters jump overboard from a boat, Weisz is clad in a white nightdress, which became completely see-through when wet. To keep things family-friendly, the dress was made white again via digital trickery.

Fraser had a near-miss with a deadly snake on set in Morocco

Most of The Mummy’s desert scenes were shot on location in Morocco, which presented numerous hazards – including snakes. Fraser recalls being warned about “a type of snake… [with] yellow dots on it. They said, ‘If you see this kind of snake, do not go near it. Because if it bites you, at best, they’ll amputate your limb.'” He later encountered that very snake, and ran.

The Medjai were going to be tattooed head to toe, but the director didn’t want to cover up Oded Fehr’s good looks

Oded Fehr co-stars in The Mummy as Ardeth Bay, a warrior of ancient brotherhood the Medjai. Originally, the idea was for the Medjai to be completely covered in tattoos from head to toe. However, when Fehr was cast Stephen Sommers felt that the actor was so handsome, it would have been a waste to completely cover his face, hence the tattoos were scaled back.

Fraser had to get the choreography perfect for his fights with the CGI mummies

The Mummy’s cast frequently had to react to creatures and phenomena that were not actually there on the set, and would instead be added digitally afterwards. Brendan Fraser recalls that performing his fight moves for the high-tech motion-capture camera was a real challenge: “you couldn’t mess up a move or improvise anything because then the camera wouldn’t capture what you did.”

Evelyn’s library accident was shot in one take

Rachel Weisz’ memorable introduction as Evelyn Carnahan sees the over-zealous librarian accidentally falling on her ladder and setting off a domino effect that topples every bookcase in the room. While a lot of the action in The Mummy is CGI, this particular shot was done entirely live in-camera, by Weisz herself. Happily, the actress and crew got the shot perfect on the very first take.

Arnold Vosloo had to be shaved all over twice a day

To maintain Imhotep’s smooth head and body, actor Arnold Vosloo needed to be entirely hairless. The actor baulked at the idea of full body waxing, so another strategy had to be employed. The make-up team resorted to shaving Vosloo’s whole body twice a day, something that took more time than you might expect.

The Mummy was such a hit that the studio ordered a sequel the morning after it came out

The Mummy grossed $43 million in its opening weekend and $416.4 million by the end of its run (both big numbers back in 1999). It earned enough money and generated enough positive word of mouth on its opening day that studio executives at Universal ordered a sequel the very next morning. The Mummy Returns would open almost exactly two years later in May 2001.

All the gunfire is CGI

Shooting in Morocco, sand was omnipresent, and it caused many problems on set, in particular jamming all of the prop guns by getting into the firing mechanism of each weapon. As a result, all of the gunfire sounds and flashes from scenes set outside had to be added in post, as the guns completely failed to fire after just one day of shooting outdoors.

Leonardo DiCaprio came very close to playing Rick

As well as Tom Cruise, other actors considered to play Rick O’Connell included Brad Pitt, Ben Affleck and Matthew McConaughey. One serious contender was Leonardo DiCaprio, then red-hot from Titanic. DiCaprio eventually had to decline The Mummy because he’d already committed to The Beach, but was so eager to play Rick that he asked director Danny Boyle if The Beach’s shoot could be delayed.

The locusts were real

A lot of CGI bugs had to be inserted into The Mummy, but some of the creepy crawlies we see in the film are real. When Imhotep sends a plague of locusts, the bugs that crawl all over Dr Chamberlain actor Jonathan Hyde are real. The actor admits struggling to keep it together shooting scenes with the insects on his head, face and neck.

The cast were at constant risk of dehydration

Many of the cast who worked on The Mummy found it to be an ordeal. The constant heat was the biggest issue, and cast and crew members sometimes pass out whilst waiting around on set. The issue was so prevalent that the on-set doctors developed an unpleasant bitter drink that hydrated people twice as fast as water, and insisted everyone drink it every two hours.

The film shot inside of a dormant volcano

The Mummy’s ancient city of Hamunaptra was built in a dormant Moroccan volcano. This large practical set allowed the cast way more freedom to improvise and utilize the space than they had during other sequences, which were mostly filmed on smaller soundstages. The downside was the volcanic setting also came with the possibility that it could become active at any moment.

Kevin J O’Connor had to ice his nipples after the Egyptologist scene

Beni actor Kevin J. O’Connor faced some unique problems shooting The Mummy; in particular, his nipples really suffered. While shooting the scene where Beni is roughed up in the Egyptologist’s office, O’Connor found himself sustaining some serious damage. After the scene was completed, O’Connor had to spend some time recovering, in particular icing his nipples, which had been bruised almost to the point of bleeding.

All the cast had kidnapping insurance

Although the production had the full support of the Moroccan military, there remained risks from shooting in Marrakech that just could not be fully eliminated. As a result, director Stephen Sommers felt it necessary to take out kidnapping insurance on all the main cast. To avoid any undue panic, Sommers didn’t reveal this fact to the cast until after the shoot was finished.

Evelyn was based on a real woman

Not many real-life details made it into the final film, but Rachel Weisz’ Evelyn Carnahan was inspired by Lady Evelyn Beauchamp, the daughter of the 5th Earl of Carnarvon. The real Evelyn was actually present for the discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb in 1922 and had a boundless enthusiasm for exploring. The real Evelyn didn’t have Rachel Weisz’ aggressively 90s eyebrows, however.

The camels really hated Kevin J O’Connor

When Beni attempts to escape unscathed with his stolen treasure, the camels that he has lashed his gold to refuse to co-operate. This wasn’t actually a character decision but something that arose naturally when it became clear that Kevin J O’Connor really couldn’t get along with the animals, as “every camel” on set apparently hated him.

The real Imhotep wasn’t a villain

Imhotep is modelled loosely on a real ancient Egyptian, who was neither dangerous nor hated. Rather than being the High Priest of Pharaoh Seti I, he was a hugely respected physician and architect, who developed the first pyramids in Ancient Egypt. Imhotep’s intelligence was such that he was even rumoured to be descended from the gods, and his name meant “one who comes in peace”.

Daniel Day-Lewis was considered to play the mummy

A few big names became attached to or were rumored to be involved in the remake of The Mummy. Most surprisingly, Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis was once considered to play the role of the titular mummy in director Joe Dante’s (the director of Gremins) pitch for the monster flick.

The Mummy wouldn’t exist without Babe: Pig in the City

The 1998 follow-up to Babe was a massive flop for Universal. Pig in the City only made $69 million at the box office, despite a budget of $90 million, so studio Universal started planning for their next hit. Director Stephen Sommers saw an opportunity, made his pitch for The Mummy, and the studio gave him the go-ahead, believing his remake would be a grand event that would make up for the failure of the Babe sequel.

Brendan Fraser didn’t know if he was making a horror or a comedy

In the multiple iterations of the Mummy remake that were floated over the years, the tone varied wildly. Some directors pitched a straight-up horror film with big scares and gruesome creatures, while others wanted it to be a family flick. Brendan Fraser has gone on record to say he had no clue what the film he signed up for was going to be.

Reviews for the film weren’t great

Though the film was a big hit with audiences, critics never had much love for The Mummy. Adding up to a score of 48 (out of 100) on Metacritic, reviews were decidedly mixed, with the film called “uninspiring” (the LA Times), “interminable” (The Washington Post) and “overwrought and deeply dopey” (Time). Roger Ebert gave an overall positive review, but still wrote that “There is hardly a thing I can say in its favor”.

The cast couldn’t see the mummy while filming

Due to the use of a performance capture costume for Arnold Vosloo’s portrayal of The Mummy, the rest of the cast had to simply imagine his grotesque appearance while filming scenes with him. Fraser, Weisz, and others had to act out their fright against the figure of a man covered in red lights – which goes to show their tremendous acting skills.

The real Medjai got tattoos on their 16th birthday

The Medjai were actually given their tattoos when they turned 16, in a ceremony that marked them out as defenders against evil. The tattoos actually covered their entire face and body, rather than the scattering shown in the film. The Medjai were unable to show pain or resistance during this ritual, or they would bring shame to their family.

The visual effects took up a fifth of the budget

When Sommers pitched his The Mummy to Universal, execs understood it would require a large budget, but due to recent flops including Babe: Pig in the City they were reluctant to offer such grand figures. They approached Sommers with a $15 million budget, and the director simply replied that they would need that much for visual effects alone.

The studio initially wanted a low-budget horror

When execs were first looking at creating remakes of the Universal monster films, their intention was to make low-budget horrors. But after Sommers informed the studio that the $15 million he was initially offered would only cover the visual effects, he managed to negotiate an $80 million budget – a sound move, as the film went on to gross over $416.4 million worldwide.

George A Romero tried to make his version of the film twice

Famed horror director George A Romero actually made two attempts to create a Mummy film. In 1987, the Day of the Dead director was hired to create a horror franchise, but sadly the project didn’t work out. He then returned to the property in the 90s, but that too was unsuccessful and he dropped it once again.

Clive Barker’s proposal for a Mummy film was much too dark

Hellraiser director Clive Barker’s attempt at creating The Mummy was unsuccessful, but for different reasons than George A Romero’s. Barker’s script was called “dark, sexual, and filled with mysticism” by producer James Jacks, and the famed horror director’s vision for the universal monster remake was cast aside. We can only wonder what it would have been like.

Fraser got the part because of George of the Jungle

By the time he got filming on The Mummy, Brendan Fraser’s biggest credit to date was George of the Jungle. The 1997 comedy film was a big hit with families and was nominated for a Saturn award, causing the studio behind The Mummy to consider the actor a burgeoning star and the perfect choice for their lead.

John Hannah didn’t think he was right for the role

Before The Mummy, John Hannah was known largely for his acting in more dramatic roles – especially in crime shows like Taggart and The Bill. Due to this, the actor didn’t feel like he was an appropriate choice for the comic relief character of Jonathan Carnahan. Hannah obviously enjoyed his time portraying the tritagonist, however, as he would go on to appear in all three Sommers Mummy films.

They didn’t film any scenes in Egypt

Despite the film being set in Egypt, and despite mummies being an important part of Egyptian history and heritage, none of The Mummy was actually shot in the country. This was because of the political situation in the country at the time, and so the crew were forced to film largely in Morocco and England.

The film’s release date was changed to avoid competition from Star Wars

Star Wars was a phenomenally popular franchise by 1999, and so sharing a release weekend with Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was a big worry for the producers behind The Mummy. To ensure that the film would be as successful as possible, Universal moved the release of The Mummy up two weeks to May 7 to avoid the competition.

Rachel Weisz trained for months for one fight scene

The fight scene between Evelyn and Anck-su-namun required actresses Rachel Weisz and Patricia Velasquez to train hard during pre-production. While stunt doubles could have been used to avoid this, the actresses decided they wanted to perform the sequence themselves and thus trained for up to eight hours a day for three months.

Rachel Weisz’s contract barred her from doing certain stunts

Rachel Weisz refused to use stunt doubles for many of her scenes, preferring to put in incredible hours to learn action choreography instead. But her contract actually stipulated that she wouldn’t have to perform certain stunts – a smart decision considering the number of injuries that co-star Brendan Fraser would accumulate over filming.

Real rats were used for some scenes

While CGI was used in The Mummy for many different purposes, including fixing dresses and creating the iconic villain, many of the insects and creatures you see were real – including the rats! In one scene Weisz is tied up and the audience sees rats crawl over the actress’s body and face. These were all real rats.

They utilized dog food to replicate hail

A variety of strange items have been used to create movie magic. Oatmeal was actually used while filming a scene in A Nightmare on Elm Street, to create the effect of stairs pulling Nancy down. But even for movie aficionados, dog food is a strange one. For the scene where hail and rubble fall on Egypt, the effects people on The Mummy painted dog food white to emulate the falling debris.

Obi-Wan Kenobi’s robe appears in the film

Star Wars is an iconic film franchise, so it’s no surprise that fans love to point out any connection in films. One of these iconic connections between The Mummy and Star Wars was a prop used by an extra. A robe once worn by Sir Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi was used by the costume department and only spotted after the film was released.

Anck-su-namun’s body paint took four hours to apply

Actress Patricia Velasquez portrayed Imhotep’s love interest in The Mummy and did so in a glorious fashion. She was largely nude bar some pasties, a loincloth, and extensive body makeup. But that makeup wasn’t easy for Velasquez, as it took four hours to paint each day, and eve ended up making the actress sick at one point.

Oded Fehr was supposed to die in the film

Initially, Oded Fehr’s Medjai chieftain Ardeth Bay was supposed to die by the end of the film, but director Stephen Sommer loved the actor so much that he changed the script to keep the character alive. Sommers enjoyed working with Fehr so much he had the actor reprise his role in The Mummy Returns.

Dummies were repurposed from Lifeforce

Star Wars wasn’t the only sci-fi film to have its props recycled for an appearance in The Mummy. Human dummies from Tobe Hooper’s 1985 sci-fi horror movie Lifeforce also show up in The Mummy, with the dummies used to ‘play’ Imhotep’s victims.

The script explained how the scarabs survived for so long

If you’ve watched The Mummy lately, you may have been left confused wondering how the scarabs were able to remain alive after being entombed in the pyramid for so many centuries. However, the initial script did have an explanation for this longevity, suggesting that Imhotep’s curse was transferred to the creatures after they bit him.

The statue of Anubis was supposed to come to life

There had to be some changes made between the script and the final product due to the fact that there were constraints with the budget and what the technology of the time could allow. Initially, the large Anubis statue inside of the tomb was supposed to come to, life but this had to be scrapped; instead, the characters would face off against other villainous creatures.

The studio demanded the mummy wasn’t too gory

While The Mummy was originally a monster movie, Universal wanted the 1999 film to be more of a comedy adventure than a straight-up horror film. To guarantee a PG rating, producers therefore had to ensure the creature wasn’t too scary for audiences, and so they designed the mummy specifically so it wasn’t too gory.

The film spawned an animated series

As well as two sequels, The Mummy also spawned an animated series. It ran from 2001-2003 and was produced by Universal Animation Studios. It utilizes many of the same characters and plot points as the films, albeit with the main character of the series instead being Alex O’Connell (son of Rick and Evelyn).

There have to date been eight films in the franchise

While fans of The Mummy may be familiar with the original, and perhaps even with the first sequel The Mummy Returns, and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s first solo feature The Scorpion King, you may not know there are actually eight films in The Mummy franchise. To date there have been three The Mummy films (not including the Tom Cruise reboot) and five Scorpion King films.

Fraser suffered horrendous injuries filming the sequels as well

While Brendan Fraser loved playing the role of dashing adventurer Rick O’Connell, he had a difficult time on every set. Almost hanged making the first film, while filming the sequels he suffered a torn spinal disc, cracked ribs, and damaged knees. It was largely these injuries that ended his action career.

The sequel was the acting debut of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

By 1999, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson was a big name in the world of pro wrestling. However, he was yet to make his break into the world of acting. The sequel to The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, was actually his movie debut; since then, Johnson has gone on to become one of the world’s biggest movie stars.

Johnson learned to speak Ancient Egyptian for his role in The Scorpion King

To play Mathayus of Akkad a second time in The Scorpion King, Dwayne Johnson fully committed to his role by learning Ancient Egyptian. Going all-out for what would be his first lead in a Hollywood production, Johnson’s feat was all the more impressive considering he never has to speak the language in the movie.

An Egyptologist was hired

When it comes to period pieces, directors usually bypass historical accuracy in favour of British received pronunciation accents. However, The Mummy went against the grain, hiring an Egyptologist to phonetically render what Ancient Egyptians might have sounded like for extra effect.

Imhotep had a Marilyn Monroe moment

Accidents happen, even to the stars. Being a hotshot Hollywood actor doesn’t make you foolproof to a wardrobe malfunction, for example. Take Arnold Vosloo. During the scene when Imhotep is raising the sandstorm in the desert, the wind machines kept blowing up Vosloo’s cape, exposing his rear end.

Stephen Sommers improvised a lot

Film productions are a heavily-planned thing. Want to tweak something at the last minute? Stick to the circus. Stephen Sommers, though, brought improvisation to the big-budget flick, coming up with the gag of Evelyn saving Rick from two gunshots on the burning boat the night before they filmed it.

Arnold Vosloo did not like being mummified

Even actors who don’t go the method route still have to make certain sacrifices, mostly when it comes to makeup. Arnold Vosloo was put through the costume design ringer when he had to be bandaged for four hours to film the scenes where Imhotep is mummified and placed in a tomb. He hated every second of it.

John Hannah sprained his wrist

Bob Ross was right. We don’t make mistakes, just happy accidents. Think about Leonardo DiCaprio busting his hand open on the table in Django Unchained and how much it added to the scene. Let us raise you John Hannah spraining his wrist and having to wear a brace by the end of The Mummy.

It inspired a theme park ride

In 2004, Universal Studios theme parks opened Revenge of the Mummy rides based on the two films. These rides were so successful, lines would stretch into the main park leaving attendees to roast in the California or Florida sun. Whenever the lines would move, people in line were said to chant “Im-ho-tep, Im-ho-tep.”

Arnold Vosloo compared it to Romeo and Juliet

Arnold Vosloo got along with director Stephen Sommers and understood his own approach to the film, but he only agreed to make The Mummy if he could play the role of Imhotep absolutely straight, comparing it to one of Shakespeare’s greats. “From Imhotep’s point of view,” he said, “this is a skewed version of Romeo and Juliet.”

The novelization explained things better

The novelization provided details that would’ve been convoluted or tricky in the film, such as the Carnahans’ backstory and the cause of their parents’ death. It was also explained that pouring scarabs into Imhotep’s sarcophagus wasn’t just to torture him. It’s an essential part of the ritual that they would eat his flesh and when he became desperate, he would eat them.

Rachel Weisz wasn’t a horror fan

Rachel Weisz, like many other actresses who got their start in horror, even something as approachable and camp as The Mummy, didn’t have much truck with the genre as a whole. Weisz was pleasantly surprised to reach the set of The Mummy and realize it wasn’t an all-out horror. “It’s hokum,” she said at the time. “A comic book world.”

The opening voiceover was different

“Thebes, City of the Living. Crown jewel of Pharaoh Seti the First. Home of Imhotep, Pharaoh’s high priest, keeper of the dead”, so begins the narration of The Mummy. Stephen Sommers originally intended it to be read by Imhotep, only to realise Imhotep wouldn’t be able to speak English. He got Ardeth Bay to do the honours instead.

Stephen Sommers had two main inspirations

No film, no creative project for that matter, is ever made with no inspiration in mind. The Mummy was no different. Director Stephen Sommers had two interesting influences when shooting the film, describing his vision of the film as “a kind of Indiana Jones or Jason and the Argonauts with the mummy as the creature giving the hero a hard time”

Kevin J O’Connor ad-libbed one line

“Here’s looking at you kid”, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat”, “Take the cannoli”, “I’m walking here!” – some of cinema’s greatest lines were ad-libbed. We’re not saying “Think of my children!” is up there with the best but it was ad-libbed all the same by Kevin J O’Connor during the scene aboard the riverboat.

The studio logo was originally different

The bright, high-def, shiny Universal logo was almost left on the cutting room floor. The original plan was to open the film with the old black and white Universal logo that had been used at the beginning of the OG Mummy film from 1932 before it dissolved into the blazing desert sun.

Stephen Dunham auditioned for the main role

Stephen Dunham had only starred in two films (one of which was an uncredited role, the other was a short) when he auditioned for the role of Rick O’Connell. He was rejected by Stephen Sommers but he liked his acting so much he made up the character Mr Henderson just for him.

Rachel Weisz was the only actress offered the part

Rachel Weisz thought her big international break was going to happen with 1996’s Chain Reaction, in which she starred opposite Keanu Reeves and Morgan Freeman. Unfortunately, Chain Reaction – and its 16% rating on Rotten Tomatoes – tanked. By the time The Mummy rolled around, however, Weisz was the only actress considered and offered the part of Evelyn.

The Mummy wasn’t lax on the details

At one point in the film, the team encounters an underground preparation chamber for preparing mummies. This wasn’t poetic license. Years later, archeologists found a vertical shaft running thirty feet deep near the Sphinx at Giza. At the bottom, they found a series of connected rooms used for mummy preparation.

The CGI didn’t come cheap

Given the wild nature of a film like The Mummy, special effects were all but compulsory. Today, CGI which may have made an impact on children is considered something of a laughing stock today. Stephen Sommers claimed the average special effect cost was $125k per shot.

Evelyn had the hots for Imhotep

Evelyn may be in great peril in The Mummy - the kind of peril you will never find yourself in across a thousand lifetimes - but she’s still human, and a babe is a babe. When she sees the fully resurrected Imhotep, she remarked: “He’s gorgeous.” The line was shot but eventually cut from the final film.

The dummies were borrowed from another film

You know those dried-out corpses you see across the film that represent the Mummy’s victims? They were made from plastic dummies, obviously. That’s hardly shocking. What is, though, is the fact those dummies were also used in the cult 1980s sci-fi flick Lifeforce. One character even refers to the Mummy sucking the “lifeforce” out of people.

Brendan Fraser turned up to a special screening

On January 24, 2023, a double feature showing The Mummy and The Mummy Returns was screened in London. Brendan Fraser, the selfless legend he is, surprised the audience beforehand. He even rocked up in Rick O’Connell’s costume, leather jacket and all. His speech and appearance went down a treat.