Tom Cruise Was Able to Approve Scripts For ‘The Mummy’
Tom Cruise is a one-man franchise in an era where existing IP reigns supreme. But the amount of brand management that goes into being one of the last action-movie stars also led to one of his biggest professional failures.
The 2017 reboot of The Mummy was set to usher in a new cinematic universe. But it tanked so badly that the entire idea was scrapped after the movie flopped. Cruise played a significant role in the movie’s muddled production.
Tom Cruise is always the central figure in his movies
There was a time when Cruise’s future as a leading man seemed all but over. Revelations about his involvement in Scientology and his bizarre behavior in interviews made him a laughingstock to some and a dangerous figurehead to others. His popularity did dim for a couple of years. But Cruise treated his reputation like one of the action films that have defined his career: pulling off remarkable stunts thanks to sheer single-mindedness and a total lack of fear. He came out of a tense situation relatively unscathed.
Movie stars always make fans feel like they are larger than life. But Cruise has siloed his personal life away. He never gives interviews and is rarely seen anywhere but a film set or premiere. To win back the hearts of fans, Cruise transformed himself into a singular action hero. He is willing to put his body on the line for a role but still has enough cache to demand huge budgets.
The Mission Impossible series is an exhilarating exercise in finding new ways for a 60-year-old man to defy death. Top Gun: Maverick‘s mindblowing success is a testament to Cruise keeping his image on the big screen for as long as possible. The films’ plots differ slightly, but they agree on one thing: Cruise’s character will save the day. This phenomenon is not a coincidence.
The actor is heavily involved in both franchises, working with the directors and writers to ensure that his vision dictates the story. His controlling nature has worked out well for him. But there is a sizable exception to that rule.
Tom Cruise’s ego was a big reason why ‘The Mummy’ was so unsuccessful
As ever, Cruise exerted his will on the set of The Mummy. But in this case, his changes did not make for an entertaining movie. (The behind-the-scenes machinations are explained in full detail by Variety.) Alex Kurtzman became the director, but it was mostly a ceremonial role. Kurtzman got the job in part because of Cruise’s familiarity with him (Kurtzman wrote Mission Impossible III. As he struggled to make his first blockbuster, Cruise commandeered the production and chose how action sequences would be shot.
Cruise’s impact was also felt in the screenplay. Two of the film’s writers, Christopher McQuarrie and Dylan Kussman, worked with him in the past (McQuarrie has written or directed every Cruise project since 2017). They made changes to bulk up the screen time of his character, Nick Morton.
McQuarrie and Kussman also cut down the importance of the actual mummy (played by Sofia Boutella), who was supposed to share equal screen time with Nick and eventually possess him at some point. After The Mummy was shot, Cruise brought in his longtime editor Andrew Mondshein to oversee the final product.
Universal Pictures didn’t love this situation but gave Cruise the contractual power to do what he did. The actor also had a say in the marketing and release strategy of The Mummy. It’s fair to say none of this worked out as he imagined it.
People were comfortable leaving ‘The Mummy’ in the tomb
The only thing worth remembering about The Mummy reboot is that they couldn’t even release a trailer properly. The movie’s first trailer was released without any music or sound effects, inadvertently creating a world where The Mummy was one of the great comedic achievements of the last decade. (You can watch the Universal Pictures trailer with sound on Youtube.) That’s more than could be said of the actual movie, which didn’t satisfy audiences, critics, or executives.
The Mummy has a 15% rating among reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes (35% for audiences) and only made $80 million in the U.S. It did much better overseas but still performed under Universal’s expectations. According to Variety, The Mummy cost $190 million to make and over $100 million to market worldwide.
Cruise was supposed to be the anchor of the Dark Universe that would star Russell Crowe as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Johnny Depp as the Invisible Man, Javier Bardem as Frankenstein, and Angelina Jolie as the Bride of Frankenstein. (Universal’s Twitter account with the heavily photoshopped picture following the announcement is, somehow, still on the site in its original form.) The Mummy was such a disaster that none of the other movies were greenlit.
The Mummy grossed $80.2 million in the United States and Canada. It grossed $329.8 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $410 million.
