The Mummy [1999]

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1999
Running Times: 124 mins
Length: 3467 metres
Format: colour 35mm Panavision [anamorphic] VistaVision
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: Digital DTS SDDS Dolby Digital

[Full Credits]

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Universal Pictures presents an Alphaville Production
Executive Producer: Kevin Jarre
Producers: James Jacks, Sean Daniel
Co-Producer: Patricia Carr

SCRIPT
Script: Stephen Sommers
Story: Stephen Sommers, Lloyd Fonvielle, Kevin Jarre, Nina Wilcox Putnam [uncredited], Richard Schayer [uncredited]

DIRECTION
Director: Stephen Sommers
2nd Unit Director: Greg Michael

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Adrian Biddle
2nd Unit Director of Photography: Harvey Harrison

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editors: Bob Ducsay, Kelly Matsumoto

MUSIC
Music / Conductor / Music Producer: Jerry Goldsmith

SOUND
Sound Designer: Leslie Shatz
Assistant Sound Designer: Jon Olive
Sound Mixer: Chris Munro
2nd Unit Sound Mixers: Ian Munro, David Crozier

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Key Make Up: Aileen Seaton
Make Up: Jane Buxton, Jane Walker
Key Hair: Tricia Cameron
Costume Designer: John Bloomfield

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Mummy Make Up: Sarita Allison, Joanne Manning
Mummy Movement Coordinator: Michael McGinn

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Supervisors: Chris Corbould, Stephen Hamilton, Andy Williams
Live Action Creature Effects Supervisor: Nick Dudman

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects: Industrial Light and Magic
Additional Visual Effects: Cinesite
Visual Effects Supervisor: John Andrew Berton Jr

DIGITAL EFFECTS
Digital Effects: Industrial Light and Magic

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Allan Cameron
Art Directors: Tony Reading, Giles Masters, Clifford Robinson, Peter Russell
Morocco Art Director: Ahmed Abounouom

LOCATIONS
Locations: Arizona, USA; Egypt; London, England, UK; World Naval Base, Chatham, Kent, England, UK; Erfoud, Morocco; Marrakech, Morocco
Studio: Shepperton Studios, England, UK
Location Managers [Morocco]: Terry Blyther, Gilles Castera, Gilles Charvin, Driss Gaidi
Location Manager [UK]: Gilly Case

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Simon Crane

CASTING
Casting: John Hubbard, Ros Hubbard
US Casting: Amy Taksen Somers
Extras Casting: 2020 Casting Ltd

CAST
Brendan Fraser [Rick O'Connell]
Rachel Weisz [Evelyn]
John Hannah [Jonathan]
Arnold Vosloo [Imhotep]
Kevin J. O'Connor [Beni]
Jonathan Hyde [the Egyptologist]
Oded Fehr [Ardeth Bay]
Omid Djalili [warden]
Erick Avari [the curator]
Aharon Ipalé [Pharaoh Seti]
Patricia Velasquez [Anck-su-Namun]
Carl Chase [Hook]
Stephen Dunham [Henderson]
Corey Johnson [Daniels]
Tuc Watkins [Burns]
Bernard Fox [Winston Havelock]
Mohammed Afifi [hangman]
Abderrahim El Aadili [camel trader]
Blixa Bargeld [spirit voices]
Jake Arnott, Mason Ball, Isabel Brook, Peter Chequer, Porl Smith, James Traheme Burton, Ian Warner, Tom Struthers [mummy performers]

Stand-Ins: Joanna Hamer, Kevin O'Brien, Pascal Rossignol, Roger Collins

In ancient Egypt, the priest Imhotep is mummified alive as punishment for the murder the Pharaoh Seti. In the early 20s, a team of treasure hunters accidentally revives Imhotep who sets about exacting vengeance. He plans to use the body of one of the group, librarian Evelyn, to resurrect his lover Anck-su-namun...

The plot may only be average - little more than a third-rate Raiders of the Lost Ark [1981] clone - and the effects too overpowering, but this brash reworking of the mummy legend is hard to dislike. The lead performers lend the film more charm than it really deserves and Sommers directs with a breathless pace that sees it through any rough patches. No masterpiece, but certainly much better than its hopeless sequels.

Argentina
Theatrical Distributor: United International Pictures
Video Distributor: Argentina Video Home

Finland
Theatrical Distributor: United International Pictures

France
Theatrical Distributor: United International Pictures

Germany
DVD Distributor: Universal 30630 [Collector's Edition; includes - commentary by Stephen Sommers and Bob Ducsay; Building a Better Mummy documentary; Egyptology 101 documentary; deleted scenes]

Greece
Theatrical Distributor: United International Pictures

Portugal
Theatrical Distributor: Lusomundo

Spain
Theatrical Distributor: United International Pictures y Cía., S.R.C.

UK
Theatrical Distributor: United International Pictures [UK] Ltd
DVD Distributor: Universal [20678 - Collector's Edition; includes - commentary by Stephen Sommers and Bob Ducsay; Building a Better Mummy documentary; Egyptology 101 documentary; deleted scenes]; Universal [20636 - Collector's Edition; includes - commentary by Stephen Sommers and Bob Ducsay; Building a Better Mummy documentary; Egyptology 101 documentary; deleted scenes]; Universal [21258 - The Ultimate Edition; includes - commentaries Stephen Sommers, Bob Ducsay, Brendan Fraser, Oded Fehr, Kevin J. O'Connor and Arnold Vosloo; Building a Better Mummy documentary; Egyptology 101 documentary; deleted scenes; visual effects documentary; storyboard to film comparisons; photo montage; Pharaoh Lineage documentary; Spotlight on Location documentary]

USA
Theatrical Distributor: MCA / Universal Pictures
Laserdisc Distributor: MCA / Universal Home Video [44839; includes - commentary by Stephen Sommers and Bob Ducsay; Building a Better Mummy documentary; deleted scenes; theatrical trailer]

Venezuela
DVD Distributor: Columbia TriStar Home Video

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Argentina
Rating: 13

Australia
Rating: M

Belgium
Rating: KT

Chile
Rating: 14

Finland
Rating: K-14

France
Rating: U

Germany
Rating: 12 (w)

Hong Kong
Rating: IIB

Netherlands
Rating: 12

New Zealand
Rating: M

Norway
Rating: 15

Portugal
Rating: M/12

Spain
Rating: 7

Sweden
Rating: 11

Switzerland
Rating: 12

UK
Rating: 12; 15 [special edition]
the theatrical version, rated 12, was cut by 14 seconds

USA
Rating: PG-13 [for pervasive adventure violence and some partial nudity]
The specially prepared airline version has Anck-Su-Namun's semi-naked scenes at the beginning partly obscured by digitally added bikinis. Understandably, the scene showing the plane crash is also cut.

1999
Golden Screen, Germany
Golden Screen - winner

2000
Academy Awards, USA
Best Sound [Chris Carpenter, Rick Kline, Chris Munro, Leslie Shatz] - nominated

Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, USA
Saturn Award Best Make-Up [Nick Dudman, Aileen Seaton] - winner
Saturn Award Best Fantasy Film - nominated
Saturn Award Best Director [Stephen Sommers] - nominated
Saturn Award Best Actor [Brendan Fraser] - nominated
Saturn Award Best Actress [Rachel Weisz] - nominated
Saturn Award Best Costumes [John Bloomfield] - nominated
Saturn Award Best Music [Jerry Goldsmith] - nominated
Saturn Award Best Special Effects [John Andrew Berton Jr, Chris Corbould, Daniel Jeannette, Ben Snow] - nominated
Saturn Award Best Writer [Stephen Sommers] - nominated

Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, USA
Favorite Actor: Action [Brendan Fraser] - nominated
Favorite Actress: Action [Rachel Weisz] - nominated
Favorite Supporting Actor: Action [John Hannah] - nominated
Favorite Villain [Arnold Vosloo] - nominated

British Academy Awards, UK
Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects [John Andrew Berton Jr, Chris Corbould, Daniel Jeannette, Ben Snow] - nominated

Csapnivalo Awards
Golden Slate Worst Movie - nominated

Golden Satellite Awards, USA
Best Visual Effects [John Andrew Berton Jr, Chris Corbould, Mark Freund, Stephen Hamilton] - nominated

Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards, USA
Sierra Award Best Visual Effects [John Andrew Berton Jr] - nominated

MTV Movie Awards, USA
Best Action Sequence [nominated] - for the sand monster scene

Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA
Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing: Effects and Foley [Thom Brennan, Richard Burton, Jonathan Klein, Mark Pappas, Leslie Shatz] - nominated

1998
May
Day Unknown: USA - production begins

October
Day Unknown: USA - production ends

1999
April
16: Portugal - theatrical release

May
4: USA - theatrical premiere
7: USA - theatrical release

June
2: Colombia - theatrical release
3: Germany - theatrical release
6: Mexico - theatrical release
10: Israel - theatrical release
11: Mexico - theatrical release
17: Singapore - theatrical release
18: Brazil - theatrical release
19: Japan - theatrical release
23: Spain - theatrical release
24: Argentina, Australia, Hungary - theatrical release
25: Denmark, Malaysia, Norway, UK - theatrical release

July
7: Kuwait - theatrical release
9: Iceland, Sweden, Thailand [limited] - theatrical release
10: South Korea - theatrical release
15: Netherlands - theatrical release
16: Finland - theatrical release
21: Belgium, France - theatrical release
22: Hong Kong - theatrical release
30: Estonia, Poland - theatrical release

August
4: Malta - theatrical release
7: Indonesia - theatrical release [in Jakarta]
11: Thailand - wider theatrical release
26: Slovakia - theatrical release
27: Italy - theatrical release

September
2: Slovenia - theatrical release
3: Greece - theatrical release
16: New Zealand - theatrical release
28: USA - DVD release [Universal [20678 - Collector's Edition]]

October
5: USA - laserdisc release [MCA / Universal Home Video [44839]]

December
9: Germany - DVD release [Universal 30630 [Collector's Edition]]

2000
July
17: UK - television broadcast [on Front Row]

2001
February
3: UK - television broadcast [on Sky Movies]

April
24: USA - DVD release [Universal [21258 - The Ultimate Edition]]

2002
May
5: USA - television broadcast [on WWHO]

The sands will rise. The heavens will part. The power will be unleashed.

The legend you know. The adventure you have yet to imagine.

Adventure Is Reborn.

Prepare. Beware. Behold.

Uncover the secret. Unlock the legend. Unleash the power.

Death is only the beginning.

Mumien - Danish title
Die Mumie - German title
Hamunaptra - Japanese title
La momia - Mexican title
The mummy - La momia - Spanish title
Muumio - Finnish title
La momie - French / French Canadian title
La mummia - Italian title
A Múmia - Brazilian / Portugese title

SEQUELS
The Mummy: The Animated Series [2001]
The Mummy Returns [2001]

PREQUEL
The Scorpion King [2002]

SEE ALSO
Ben-Hur [1959]
King Solomon's Mines [1985]
The Mummy [1932]
Raiders of the Lost Ark [1981]

MAGAZINES

Empire July 1999 pp.18, 125 [UK]
reviews [by Adam Smith; Kim Newman]

Entertainment Weekly no.468 / 469 [22 / 29 January 1999] p.35 [USA]
article [The Mummy by Steve Daly]

Entertainment Weekly no.485 [14 May 1999] pp.28-33 [USA]
article [Show Me The Mummy by Benjamin Svetkey]

Entertainment Weekly no.505 [1 October 1999] pp.76-77 [USA]
review [by Jess Cagle]

Entertainment Weekly no.593 [27 April 2001] p.95 [USA]
review [by Marc Bernardin]

Movieline vol.X no.8 [May 1999] pp.60-65, 98 [USA]
article [Unwrapping The Mummy by Michael Fleming]

Premiere vol.12 no.10 [June 1999] pp.76-77 [USA]
article [Dead - And Loving It]

Total Film July 1999 p.88 [UK]
review [by Simon Crook]

Variety vol.374 no.11 [3 May 1999] pp.83, 87 [USA]
review [by Todd McCarthy]

NEWSPAPERS

A Capital, Guia TV 28 January 2000 [Portugal]
review [by Rui Brazuna]

A Capital, Viver 15 July 1999 [Portugal]
review [by Rui Brazuna]

Diário de Notícias 16 July 1999 [Portugal]
review [by Eurico De Barros]

Diário de Notícias, DNmais 17 July 1999 [Portugal]
review [by José De Matos-Cruz]

La Repubblica 27 August 1999 [Italy]
review [by Roberto Nepoti]

BOOKS

Resurrecting The Mummy: The Making of the Movie by Pat Cadigan [London: Trafalgar Square Publishing (1999)]
production notes

KEYWORDS

mummies; egypt; egyptology; treasure; caves; tombs; camels; deserts; eclipses; aircraft; curses; suicide; earthquakes; libraries; librarians; locusts; plagues; rivers; scarabs; ships