The Mummy, released in 1999, recently celebrated its 25th anniversary of release. In 2017, a reboot of the Brendan Fraser-Rachel Weisz starrer was also released in theaters.
Stephen Sommers is known for starting a new cinematic trend with his action-adventure horror comedy, The Mummy. The film’s success led to several spin-offs and prequels. However, in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Stephen revealed that he felt insulted when the creators of the Tom Cruise reboot didn’t approach him.
When asked if he was consulted for the 2017 action-adventure film titled The Mummy, the filmmaker replied: “No. Actually, I was a little insulted because the writers and the director (Alex Kurtzman) of the Tom Cruise one, no one ever contacted me. I contact people if I plan to take over someone’s business. The third, directed by Rob (Cohen), is a bit my baby. I didn’t want to step on his toes, so I helped produce it. But I had nothing to do with Tom Cruise’s. They never contacted me or called me. I was doing something else, and it’s not like I was crying. I just think it’s a common courtesy.
The Mummy released in 1999 was based on the 1932 American Pre-Code supernatural horror film directed by Karl Freund. Stephen’s horror film is set against the backdrop of the mummies of the ancient pharaohs of Egypt. Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz played pivotal roles in the film. In its sequel, The Mummy Returns (2001), Dwayne Johnson also played a crucial character. He also essayed the lead role in the prequel spin-off The Scorpion King.
Stephen made his directorial debut with the American action comedy Catch Me If You Can (1989), starring Matt Lattanzi and Loryn Locklin. He also directed the 1994 American action-adventure film The Jungle Book starring Jason Scott Lee based on the novel by Rudyard Kipling. His last directorial feature was the 2013 mystery thriller Odd Thomas.
