The Mummy's Unofficial Sequel Gets A New Streaming Home While Waiting For The Mummy 4

It has been 22 years since an unofficial sequel to The Mummy movies was released, and it's available again now on streaming. In 1999, the classic Universal Horror monster known as The Mummy roared back to the big screen, and it was like nothing the franchise had seen before. Gone was the dark horror, and in its place was a giant action-adventure movie that made Brendan Fraser a massive action movie star.

In 1999, director Stephen Sommers brought the world The Mummy, which is more of an Indiana Jones hybrid than a monster movie. Fraser stars as Rick O'Connell, an American explorer and treasure hunter who has discovered Hamunaptra, the city of the dead. He meets a librarian named Evy (Rachel Weisz) and her brother Jonathan (John Hannah), and they accidentally wake up the mummified corpse of Imhotep.

The movie was a monster success, making $422.5 million at the box office on an $80 million budget, and that total guaranteed a sequel. The second movie, The Mummy Returns, ended up making even more money, although the reviews were worse, with many critics pointing out the fake-looking CGI effects in the film. Three years later, Sommers directed an unofficial sequel in an attempt at a cinematic universe, and it struggled at the box office.

Van Helsing Is A Fun Watch If You Like The Mummy

Released in 2004, Van Helsing introduces the legendary monster hunter as he kills monsters, as he did in films from the past. Much like he did with The Mummy, Sommers took the classic horror character and threw him into a world of action and adventure. He even had Hugh Jackman on board to play Abraham Van Helsing. Not only is he hunting Dracula, but also werewolves, Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein's Monster, and more.

Sommers' task here was to create another revived monster franchise for Universal, just like he did with The Mummy. The movie was also released five years to the day after The Mummy was released. The film made $300 million on a $160 million to $170 million budget, but with only $120 million in North America, it was a disappointing box office take. Its 24% Rotten Tomatoes score was also a nail in its coffin.

However, for anyone who enjoys the fun and excitement of The Mummy movies, there is a lot to love about Van Helsing. This isn't a movie that takes itself seriously, and the film goes a long way to show that it is having fun above all else. However, for many critics at the time, that wasn't enough. For anyone who isn't looking to take a movie seriously, this is a film that delivers an amusing and entertaining spectacle of monsters.

Anyone ready to give it a second chance can find Van Helsing currently streaming on Prime Video.

After The Mummy 4, Could Van Helsing Be Revisited?

After The Mummy Returns, there was a movie called The Scorpion King that starred Dwayne Johnson, and that movie's special effects made The Mummy Returns look like a masterpiece in comparison. Then, in 2008, there was a third Mummy movie called The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, with Fraser back but with Weisz replaced by Maria Bello.

Now, a fourth Mummy movie is coming in 2027, with Fraser, Weisz, and Hannah all returning to their roles. The key here is seeing the three stars back on the big screen together in another Mummy movie. However, even if that is a success, don't expect Van Helsing to ever get a sequel. That film was a critical failure, and Jackman has moved on. While a fun film when released, its time has come and gone.

Release Date May 3, 2004

Runtime 132 Minutes

Director Stephen Sommers

Writers Stephen Sommers