Even James Wan Reportedly Couldn't Sit Through The Mummy Reboot

So, the new Mummy reboot is reportedly so gnarly that James Wan — yes, that James Wan — walked out halfway through a test screening. Here is what is allegedly going on with Lee Cronin’s take, why horror fans might be split, and why anyone expecting Brendan Fraser vibes should probably adjust expectations now.

What the report claims

Industry tipster Feature First posted what sounds like the film’s working synopsis. It centers on a family of four — parents played by Jack Reynor and Laia Costa, plus a son and daughter. After a woman puts a curse on the girl, she disappears. Eight years later, a sarcophagus turns up with the daughter’s body inside... except she is alive. She returns home, but something malignant from the desert apparently tags along.

Feature First also says the movie had an early test screening, and it did not land with the audience. The most eyebrow-raising detail: The Conjuring director and horror heavyweight James Wan reportedly got up and left midway through the film. If true, that is a pretty loud vote of no confidence from someone who knows this space better than almost anyone.

The gore everyone is talking about

Lee Cronin proved he can do splatter with 2023’s Evil Dead Rise, but this sounds like he is going harder. Per Feature First, there is one extremely graphic set piece that drew specific comparisons to the nastiest moments in The Substance and Bring Her Back. The scene, as described: a scorpion crawls into someone’s mouth and slices their vocal cords; then another character shoves fingers down that person’s throat to press on the cords so they can speak. It is a lot.

A behind-the-scenes photo from Cronin’s Instagram has been floating around, but the chatter is almost entirely about that sequence and the overall tone.

This is not your 1999-style Mummy

If you are picturing pulpy adventure in the Brendan Fraser mold — witty archaeology mishaps, sandstorms, and swashbuckling with a side of spooky — this does not sound like that. Even the 2017 Tom Cruise version leaned more disaster-thriller than outright horror. Cronin’s take, based on what is being whispered, reads more like a desert-set possession shocker. Some horror fans will be into that shift. Others are going to miss the sense of wonder and old-school serial energy.

Where things stand (for now)

All of this is early, unconfirmed, and filtered through test-screening scuttlebutt, so salt accordingly. But if Feature First’s breakdown holds, Universal and Blumhouse might be aiming for a blood-forward reinvention rather than a throwback. That is a bold swing for a title with a very specific legacy.

• Title: The Mummy (reboot)
• Director: Lee Cronin
• Cast: Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, Verónica Falcón
• What is being reported: Feature First claims a test screening went poorly and that James Wan walked out mid-movie; the plot involves a cursed daughter who reappears alive eight years later after being found in a sarcophagus, bringing an evil presence home
• Notable scene (per report): A scorpion crawls into a character’s mouth and severs their vocal cords; another character manually presses the cords so they can speak
• Tone comparison: Feature First likens the gore to The Substance and Bring Her Back
• Release date: April 17, 2026
• Production: Blumhouse Productions
• Extra note: Cronin previously directed Evil Dead Rise (2023)

My read: if you want archaeological chaos and dashing adventurers, this probably is not it. If you want Cronin pushing into full-on body horror, you might get exactly what you are after — scorpions-in-the-throat and all. Either way, I would love to hear what Universal actually confirms here, because the rumor mill is doing the most.