Unraveling The Mummy After 25 Years

Its stars thought it would flop. Now a quarter of a century after its release, Arnold Vosloo, Rachel Weisz, Patricia Velásquez and Kevin J. O'Connor reflect on the cult classic

- SOPHIE LLOYD

WHEN THE MUMMY HIT THE BIG SCREEN IN 1999, no one predicted the monster success the quirky action-adventure movie would become.

With research suggesting that theatergoers didn't want to see a film about "a guy wrapped in bandages," everyone from director Stephen Sommers to leading man Brendan Fraser expected the film to flop. Even Imhotep actor Arnold Vosloo (the titular mummy) had concerns, worried that he'd "never work again" once the movie premiered.

Well, The Mummy proved the doubters wrong, grossing some $417 million worldwide and even saving Universal Studios from bankruptcy. Twenty-five years later, the film is still beloved, with the cast remembering the film as fondly as its fans.

To celebrate the anniversary, Newsweek spoke to Vosloo, Rachel Weisz, Patricia Velásquez and Kevin J. O'Connor for a behind-the-scenes look at the late-90s classic. Set in the 1920s, the film follows Rick (Brendan Fraser), aspiring Egyptologist Evelyn "Eevee" Carnahan (Rachel Weisz) and her lovable but useless-brother Jonathan (John Hannah). The trio accidentally awakens Imhotep, a mummy cursed to wreak havoc on the world but who mostly just wants to resurrect his dead girlfriend.

'The Power of This Movie Is Amazing'

It's been more than two decades since he took on the role of Imhotep, but Vosloo still gets fans telling him how much they adore The Mummy.

"The power of this movie is amazing," he told Newsweek. "People just love it." However, the 61-year-old wasn't sure what "he'd gotten himself into" at the time.

After the studio locked down Fraser and Weisz as the lead roles, the search for the mummy began.

Vosloo was recommended by Sean Daniel and James Jacks, who had worked with the South African actor on the 1993 Jean-Claude Van Damme movie Hard Target.

After one meeting, Sommers knew he was perfect for the part, but Vosloo was slightly confused.