10 Facts About “The Mummy” That Even Hardcore Fans Might Not Know

It’s been 24 years since the first film in The Mummy franchise was released. Although it was a remake of a 1932 movie, it made it’s own name and won the hearts of millions across the globe. We can’t get enough of learning more about what went on behind-the-scenes, so we went online to collect a few fascinating facts. Enjoy!

1. Tom Cruise was offered the lead role, but he turned it down.

Many famous actors were considered for the role of Rick O’Connell, including Tom Cruise, but the actor turned it down and Brendan Fraser was cast instead. Cruise had almost 2 decades to change his mind, and he eventually went on to star in the 2017 reboot of The Mummy.

2. Producers planned a fourth installment with Antonio Banderas as the bad guy.

After the success of the third installment, producers thought it was feasible to have a fourth part of the saga. It was rumored that it would be about the Aztec empire and that the villain would be Antonio Banderas. But Universal backed out of the project to prioritize a reboot with Tom Cruise, which was a big flop.

3. Brendan Fraser almost died while filming the scene in the gallows.

In one of the scenes, Rick O’Connell is imprisoned and taken to the gallows to be hanged, while Evelyn tries to negotiate his release and ends up saving his life. Although a stunt double was used for the body shots, Fraser still had to have a rope placed around his neck for close-ups. During the second take, the rope was tightened to make Fraser’s acting more realistic, but the actor actually ended up passing out and had to be revived by the EMTs on set.

4. The movies were actually filmed in Morocco, not Egypt.

Although the action of the first 2 movies in the trilogy is set in Egypt, due to several issues, cast members couldn’t film there. Instead, they chose Morocco as the location, and what we see as early twentieth-century Cairo in the movies is actually Marrakech.

5. The actors on set had to drink a special brew every few hours.

Because they were shooting in the desert, the actors faced several real-life dangers, including dehydration. To prevent this, the medical team on set came up with a special concoction that the actors had to drink every few hours.

6. The actor who played Imhotep had to be fully shaved twice a day during filming.

Arnold Vosloo’s character required his whole body to be completely hairless while shooting. And even though they first tried waxing, Vosloo didn’t want to repeat the painful experience, so staff members opted for shaving his body twice a day instead.

7. The set was built inside of a volcano.

The set for the lost city of Hamunaptra was erected inside of a volcano in southeast Morocco. Obviously, the volcano was a dormant one, and it even had an old fort already built inside it.

8. The same mansion appears in Batman Begins.

Some locations are used in different films, and only very observant viewers will realize that. For example, Mentmore Towers Manor in London has been used for numerous films, including Rick O’Donell’s home in The Mummy and Wayne Manor in Batman Begins.

9. The actor who played Beni wasn’t very well-liked by the camels.

Beni, played by Kevin J. O’Connor, is a very unlikable character in the movie, and even the camels seemed to agree. During the scene where he loads up the camels, the animals refuse to move. This, however, wasn’t scripted, but it seems the camels decided to add their own touch to the film.

10. Rachel Weisz’s character was named after a real person.

The character of Evelyn Carnahan was inspired by Evelyn Herbert, who was the daughter of British Egyptologist George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon. In 1922, the real-life Evelyn and her father were the first 2 people in modern times to enter Tutankhamun’s tomb.

What’s your favorite movie from The Mummy franchise? And who’s your favorite character?