Few blockbuster franchises have experienced a stumble quite like The Mummy did with its third outing. Released in 2008, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor struggled to win over critics and longtime fans alike. Largely due to its shift in setting and a pointed absence of Rachel Weisz.  

The recasting of the beloved character and the story's drift far from the charm of the original films left the trilogy’s finale widely regarded as the weakest entry.

Now, as a new chapter takes shape with Brendan Fraser returning, the directors of The Mummy 4 are hinting that the divisive third film may not matter much anymore.

When questioned about whether the fresh fourth entry would fold into the 2008 flick The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor as part of its lore, directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett dropped a clever reply that nods to the series' fresh slate. Moreover, their re-establishment of this new lore has even dismissed the third The Mummy from canon-ship in the franchise. 

What served as proof of the new installation's legitimacy was none other that Brenden Fraser's companion in the first two films, Rachel Weisz.

"Well, Rachel Weisz is in this one, that should answer the question for you," said the filmmakers of The Mummy 4 to Entertainment Weekly.

 Rachel Weisz first brought Egypt scholar Evelyn O’Connell to life next to Brendan Fraser's bold explorer Rick O’Connell in The Mummy from 1999, and its follow-up, The Mummy Returns, in 2001, cemented the pair as a fan favorite screen duo. The third go, however, cracked that flow in ways many never warmed to. For The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor in 2008, Weisz bowed out, with Maria Bello stepping in, a switch that pulled flak from the audience who missed the original spark.

The tale jumped from Egypt to China and ended up the least-liked in the bunch, scoring just 13% on Rotten Tomatoes and pulling the smallest haul among the core movies.

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As some reboots rewrite old tales with the same faces, some reboots struggle to find heirs to their new-age repressive literature adaptation tales. 

Hollywood’s current wave of reboots often walks a fine line between honoring the past and rewriting it entirely. That balancing act is now playing out with the new American Psycho adaptation as well, where the legacy of Christian Bale still looms large. Bale, who famously portrayed Patrick Bateman in the 2000 film directed by Mary Harron, has even given his blessings to the one stepping into the role again.

Bale joked to The Hollywood Reporter that anyone willing to try deserves credit for their bravery. The upcoming reinterpretation, led by Luca Guadagnino with a script by Scott Z. Burns, is expected to take a radically different approach straight from the source.

According to author Bret Easton Ellis, several high-profile actors reportedly passed on the lead role before Burns reworked the script into a fresh draft that does not exactly take after the 2000 movie.

Steering clear of casting clashes, The Mummy 4 directors have declared a complete revival with Rachel Weisz’s comeback, soaring past missteps to focus on beloved elements that fans cherish.

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What do you think about The Mummy 4 ignoring the third film? Let us know in the comments.