Breakout ‘Obsession’ Star Michael Johnston in Talks for Universal’s The Mummy
Following the massive break-out success of the hit horror film Obsession, lead actor Michael Johnston is drawing major studio attention—and is now in talks for a key role in Hollywood's iconic The Mummy franchise.
According to reports from The Insneider and The Hollywood Reporter, Michael Johnston is in early talks with Universal Pictures to join the cast of the upcoming The Mummy sequel. Scheduled to be released on October 15, 2027, the feature will be directed by the filmmaking duo Radio Silence—Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (Ready or Not, Scream series)—from a script penned by David Coggeshall (The Family Plan). Franchise leads Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, along with John Hannah, are set to reprise their beloved roles. The new film will serve as a direct continuation of the first two movies, explicitly ignoring the events of the 2008 third installment.
Johnston’s rise comes on the heels of Obsession, written and directed by Curry Barker. After taking first runner-up in the People’s Choice Award for Midnight Madness at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, Universal Pictures acquired the distribution rights in a record-breaking deal. Released theatrically in North America this past May, Obsession earned good reviews and grossed over $460 million worldwide against a budget under $1 million. It currently stands as the highest-grossing original live-action film of the 2020s and holds the #8 spot at the 2026 global box office. In the film, after breaking the mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.
The current line of The Mummy films kicked off in 1999, followed by 2001's The Mummy Returns and several spin-offs in The Scorpion King series. Both of the original films grossed over $400 million globally. The momentum slowed in 2008 with The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Notably, Rachel Weisz did not return for that third installment, with Maria Bello stepping in to play Evelyn. Despite crossing the $400 million mark again, the third film saw a dip in ticket sales and was largely panned by critics. The upcoming fourth film will arrive nearly 20 years after the previous entry. In the intervening years, the status of its lead stars has reached new heights:
Brendan Fraser became an Academy Award winner for Best Actor for his role in The Whale (2022).
Rachel Weisz is an Academy Award winner for Best Supporting Actress for The Constant Gardener (2005).
Universal’s path to this revival has been complex. After the original trilogy (1999–2008) grossed over $1.2 billion, the studio attempted a 2017 reboot starring Tom Cruise. That film was intended to launch a "Dark Universe" featuring cinematic legends like Frankenstein,Bride of Frankenstein and the Invisible Man, but poor box office and critical reception led the studio to scrap those interconnected plans in favor of standalone stories. More recently, Warner Bros. released Lee Cronin's The Mummy earlier this year, turning a $20 million budget into $90 million globally despite mixed critical reviews.
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Source: The Insneider, The Hollywood Reporter
Photo: TIFF