Movies - Lee Cronin's The Mummy : A Radical Resurrection of a Horror Legend Set for April 2026

By Mulder, 27 february 2026

Scheduled for release in France April 15, 2026 and in the United States on April 17, 2026, Lee Cronin's The Mummy marks a bold new chapter for one of horror cinema’s most enduring myths, with Lee Cronin officially stepping into the director’s chair for a complete reimagining of the iconic franchise under the banner of New Line Cinema, in collaboration with Atomic Monster and Blumhouse Productions, and distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures; what began in June 2024 as an untitled New Line Cinema project dated for April 17, 2026, was officially revealed in December 2024 to be a reinvention of The Mummy, placing Lee Cronin who previously revitalized the Evil Dead universe with Evil Dead Rise at the center of a supernatural horror production that promises to depart sharply from past adventure-driven interpretations and return the property to its darker, more unsettling roots.

The film stars Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, and Verónica Falcón, with additional cast members including May Elghety, Shylo Molina, Billie Roy, and later Hayat Kamille, assembling an ensemble that reflects the film’s international dimension and emotional core; according to the official synopsis, the story follows a young girl who vanished without a trace in the Egyptian desert only to reappear eight years later, an apparent miracle that rapidly mutates into psychological terror as her increasingly disturbing behavior pushes her shattered family into a desperate investigation that reveals a source of evil far beyond their comprehension, signaling a narrative more intimate and possession-tinged than previous cinematic versions of the Mummy legend.

Production officially commenced on March 24, 2025, with principal photography taking place across Ireland and Spain before wrapping on June 25, 2025, a relatively contained yet intense shoot that reflects Lee Cronin’s preference for atmospheric dread over large-scale spectacle; the creative team surrounding him underscores that ambition, with cinematography by Dave Garbett, production design by Nick Bassett, editing by Bryan Shaw, costume design by Joanna Eatwell, and a score composed by Stephen McKeon, while casting directors Terri Taylor and Sarah Domeier Lindo shaped the ensemble, and executive producers including Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Macdara Kelleher, and Lee Cronin himself ensured continuity between the director’s creative vision and the industrial machinery of major studio horror production.

The involvement of James Wan and Jason Blum as producers is particularly significant, uniting two of the most commercially influential figures in contemporary horror under a single banner and reinforcing the film’s positioning as a prestige genre event rather than a conventional franchise reboot; their collaboration, long teased by industry observers, reflects the strategic alliance between Atomic Monster and Blumhouse Productions, both known for mid-budget, high-concept horror films that emphasize directorial identity and practical atmosphere, and here that synergy appears to empower Lee Cronin to push the mythology into psychological and supernatural territory rather than relying on swashbuckling adventure tropes historically associated with earlier iterations of the franchise.

This reinterpretation leans into dread and familial trauma, echoing thematic strands found in Lee Cronin’s earlier work while anchoring its horror in domestic vulnerability rather than archaeological spectacle, and early promotional material including the official trailers released online suggests a stark visual palette dominated by desert vastness, claustrophobic interiors, and increasingly erratic behavior from the resurrected child, hinting at a narrative structure built around slow-burn unease escalating toward visceral revelation rather than spectacle-heavy confrontation.

In France, the film will be released beginning April 15, 2026, including IMAX engagements, positioning it as a major theatrical event in the spring horror calendar, and the decision to foreground the director’s name directly in the title Lee Cronin's The Mummy signals a marketing strategy that places auteur identity at the forefront, a relatively rare move for legacy franchise properties and one that underscores the industry’s growing recognition of horror directors as brand-defining creative forces in their own right.

As anticipation builds toward its April 2026 debut, the project stands as one of the most closely watched genre releases of the year, not merely because it revives a legendary horror icon but because it represents a convergence of major horror powerhouses behind a filmmaker who has already demonstrated his capacity to reinterpret established mythology with raw intensity and emotional stakes, suggesting that Lee Cronin's The Mummy may not simply awaken an ancient curse but redefine how modern audiences confront one of cinema’s oldest monsters.

Synopsis :
A young girl who disappeared in the Egyptian desert mysteriously reappears eight years later. But the reunion quickly turns into a nightmare. As her behavior becomes increasingly disturbing, her family embarks on a race against time to understand the source of the evil. What they discover exceeds anything they could have imagined.

Lee Cronin's The Mummy
Written and directed by Lee Cronin
Produced by James Wan, Jason Blum, John Keville
Starring Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, Verónica Falcón
Cinematography : Dave Garbett
Edited by Bryan Shaw
Music by Stephen McKeon
Production companies : New Line Cinema, Atomic Monster, Blumhouse Productions, Wicked/Good
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date : April 17, 2026 (United States)