Rachel Weisz Returns as Evelyn O’Connell in First Set Photos from ‘The Mummy 4’

Tena Milakovic
Rachel Weisz EVELYN OCONNELL
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Franchise reunions can take years to come to fruition, and this one has certainly been a long time in the making. For nearly two decades, fans of Universal’s beloved adventure series have speculated whether the original chemistry that made it so successful could ever be recaptured.

That question is now being answered in real time, as production photos have begun to emerge from a London set that dedicated fans have eagerly awaited for years.

Rachel Weisz has officially reprised her role as Evelyn O’Connell for ‘The Mummy 4,’ with new set photos showcasing her back in character for the first time since 2001’s ‘The Mummy Returns.’ The images, taken outside the British Museum in London, feature Weisz in a mustard-yellow polka-dot skirt, a cropped brown jacket, a rust-colored blouse and scarf, long leather gloves, and a wide-brimmed hat, holding a vintage leather briefcase and an old-fashioned transistor radio.

This moment holds significant weight for a franchise that hasn’t fully resonated since Weisz’s last appearance. She opted not to return for 2008’s ‘The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,’ with Maria Bello stepping into the role of Evelyn for that film. While Bello did her best, fans widely felt the absence of the chemistry Weisz shared with co-star Brendan Fraser, who is also confirmed to reprise his role as Rick O’Connell.

Notably, this new film seems to be bypassing the events of that divisive third installment altogether. When directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, known as Radio Silence, were directly asked if ‘Tomb of the Dragon Emperor’ would be considered canon, Bettinelli-Olpin’s response left little room for doubt.

“Well, Rachel is in this one,” he stated in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, with Gillett adding, “That should answer the question for you.” This indicates that the sequel will pick up the narrative from the first two films rather than incorporating elements from the recast era.

Both directors have expressed enthusiasm about the script, written by David Coggeshall. Gillett described it as “really, really beautiful and scary and sweeping,” while Bettinelli-Olpin noted that it contains “all of the heart and the character that you could hope for,” emphasizing that neither Fraser nor Weisz would have returned unless they truly believed in the material.

Fraser has long expressed his desire for another chance at the character, and Weisz was reportedly fifty-six when she began filming these new scenes, twenty-eight years after she first portrayed Evelyn at the age of twenty-eight in 1998. Given that the original ‘Mummy’ was set in 1926, the timeline for this new installment suggests the story will likely unfold in the early to mid-1950s.

In addition to Fraser and Weisz, other familiar faces from the franchise have been quietly reappearing as well. Oded Fehr, who played the Medjai warrior Ardeth Bay in the earlier films, recently shared a glimpse of himself getting back into character makeup, sparking further speculation about which other beloved characters might return alongside the leads.

Production on the untitled sequel reportedly began in early September 2026, with a theatrical release currently slated for October 15, 2027. This timeline means Weisz will be reprising Evelyn more than twenty-five years after her last portrayal, making these initial images particularly significant for long-time fans of the trilogy.

Judging by the enthusiastic reactions across social media since the photos surfaced, anticipation for this reunion is at an all-time high. For a franchise that has struggled to recapture its early magic after Weisz’s departure, reuniting the original cast, as Fraser once hinted, might be just what it needs.

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