Published Aug 5, 2026, 2:52 PM EDT
Ryan Northrup is a Senior Staff Writer on ScreenRant's Movie & TV News team, where he has authored nearly 5,000 articles, including features and reviews. A graduate of McMaster University, Ryan began his career in public relations before attending Vancouver Film School. There, he built lasting industry connections and optioned a feature film screenplay.
Lee Cronin's The Mummy was just hit with a surprising ban.
Produced by Blumhouse, the reboot ofThe Mummy hit theaters earlier this year, following a teenage girl as she becomes the host for an ancient, demonic parasite years after her mysterious disappearance in Egypt. Unlike the Brendan Fraser Mummy movies, Cronin's film is rated R and features shocking moments of terror and violence.
The film's subject matter has now gotten it in trouble in the UK, where posters for Lee Cronin's The Mummy have been banned in places where children might see them. Cronin has taken to X to respond to the ban, which followed 30 complaints made to the Advertising Standards Authority. "I hate to spoil the party, but she’s already inside your home on [HBO Max]," the filmmaker jokes. Check out Cronin's tweet below:
According to the U.K. Advertising Standards Authority, the poster received the ban because it features "a realisitic impression of a dead child." The ASA further shared that many of the 30 complaints felt that the poster was "distressing for children and adults."
The poster in question features a young woman with grey skin, cracked lips, and apparent scars, with one eye swollen completely shut. The figure is wrapped in mummy-style dressings, some of which feature symbols of a hieroglyphic nature.
This new ban comes more than three months after Lee Cronin's The Mummy's theatrical release on April 17. Starring Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, and Billie Roy, the Blumhouse film was a success in theaters before landing on HBO Max on July 3.
Made on a modest $22 million budget, the horror Mummy reboot grossed just over $90 million worldwide, comprising $29 million from North America and $61 million from overseas. Critically, however, the movie was more of a mixed bag.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a lackluster 45% critics' score, with reviews for Lee Cronin's The Mummy taking aim at the lengthy runtime and some questionable narrative choices. The audience-driven Popcornmeter score, though, is significantly higher at 72%.
For Cronin, the Mummy movie follows his success with Evil Dead Rise in 2023. That film grossed $147 million worldwide and has an 85% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Though Cronin's take on the franchise can be considered a success, it comes before a far more anticipated franchise revival. Next year, The Mummy 4 will hit theaters, with returns from all major franchise stars, including Fraser, Rachel Weisz, Oded Fehr, John Hannah, and Kevin J. O'Connor. Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, this film, which is sure to be rated PG-13, is scheduled for October 15.
Though Lee Cronin's The Mummy didn't quite revitalize the franchise in the way many had hoped, it was seemingly violent and scary to a degree that interested audiences. Even more than three months removed from its theatrical release, the film is evidently still having an impact.
Release Date April 17, 2026
Runtime 136 Minutes
Director Lee Cronin
Writers Lee Cronin
English (US) ·