Horror Director's Mummy Reboot Bombs in Test Screenings
Lee Cronin's upcoming horror film faces major setbacks with audiences walking out during early screenings. Reports suggest extremely disturbing content may be driving viewers away.
Warner Bros.' latest monster movie revival hit a major snag. Lee Cronin's take on The Mummy crashed hard during recent test screenings, with audiences reportedly fleeing theaters before the credits rolled.
Sources close to the production reveal the screenings went "extremely poorly." Even James Wan, the Saw creator who's producing the film, allegedly walked out halfway through one screening. The news comes as Warner Bros. considers changing the movie's title entirely.
Plot Details Surface
The story centers on a journalist's daughter who vanishes in the desert. Eight years later, she mysteriously returns home. What starts as a family reunion quickly spirals into supernatural terror.
Cronin, fresh off his success with Evil Dead Rise, promised a "bold and twisted reinterpretation" of the classic monster tale. The cast includes Jack Reynor from Midsommar, Laia Costa, Verónica Falcón, and May Calamawy from Moon Knight.
Extreme Content Concerns
Reports describe one scene as "truly vile," featuring a scorpion crawling into someone's mouth and severing their vocal cords. Another person must then stick their fingers down the victim's throat to press on the cords, allowing them to speak again.
The two-hour runtime suggests plenty more intense moments await audiences. Cronin appears to have doubled down on the gore that made Evil Dead Rise a hit, pushing boundaries even further this time.
Release Plans Unchanged
Despite the screening troubles, The Mummy remains scheduled for April 17, 2026. Test audiences don't always predict box office success. Recent films like Superman received mixed early reactions but performed well with general audiences.
The question remains whether Cronin's extreme vision will find its target audience or if the studio will demand significant changes before release.