The Mummy is an action adventure horror film media franchise based on films by Universal Pictures about a mummified ancient Egyptian priest who is accidentally resurrected, bringing with him a powerful curse, and the ensuing efforts of heroic archaeologists to stop him. The franchise was created by Nina Wilcox Putnam and Richard Schayer.
Universal
Original series (1932–1955)
The original series of films consisted of six installments, which starred iconic horror actors such as Boris Karloff (only in the original one, as Imhotep); Tom Tyler and Lon Chaney Jr. as Kharis; and lastly Eddie Parker, who played Klaris, a cousin of Kharis. The series of films is part of the larger Universal Classic Monsters series.
The Mummy (1932)
When archaeologists awaken the tomb of the mummy Imhotep, he sets out to find the reincarnation of his long-lost love.
The Mummy's Hand (1940)
Steve Banning and his assistant Babe Jenson, who are being watched by spies, decide to fund an expedition. A magician and his beautiful daughter join the expedition, but when they awaken the tomb of the mummy Kharis, they don't know whether they're going to survive the expedition.
The Mummy's Tomb (1942)
The mummy Kharis is back after he was lit on fire 30 years ago. After 30 years, Steve Banning has now become a famous archaeologist and is living in the peaceful town of Mapleton, Massachusetts. However the town becomes less peaceful when Steve is murdered by an unknown assailant. His son John tries to crack the case with some help from Babe Hanson, Steve's friend who helped defeat Kharis 30 years ago.
The Mummy's Ghost (1944)
After Kharis is defeated by the Banning family, a new protagonist, Tom Harvey and his girlfriend Amina, who is the reincarnation of Princess Ananka, are in conflict with Kharis, who grows closer to Amina and wants to turn her immortal, while Tom and the police try stop him.
The Mummy's Curse (1944)
25 years later after The Mummy's Ghost, an irrigation project in the bayous of Louisiana unearths the mummy Kharis from his sleep and is resurrected once again. Meanwhile, Kharis's lost love Ananka also forms from a swamp, causing the monster to embrace his 3,000 year old love after many years.
Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955)
Freddie Franklin and his best friend Peter Patterson just want to go back to the states, but get caught up in the mummy's tale when Dr. Zoomer is murdered and they find a medallion, causing the police, a thief and her henchmen, a high priest and his henchmen, and the mummy Klaris to go after them.
Stephen Sommers series (1999–2008)
Originally a proposed remake of The Mummy would have been directed by horror filmmaker and writer Clive Barker. Barker's vision for the film was violent, with the story revolving around the head of a contemporary art museum who turns out to be a cultist trying to reanimate mummies. Barker's take was "dark, sexual and filled with mysticism", and that, "it would have been a great low-budget movie".
In 1999, Stephen Sommers wrote and directed a remake of The Mummy, loosely based on the original film of 1932. This film switches genres from the emphasis on horror to action, concentrating more on adventure sequences, special effects, comedy, and a higher element of Egyptian lore. The film became a box office success spawning two sequels, several video games, a spin-off series, and an animated television series. The first two films received mixed to positive reviews, while the third one received mostly negative reviews.
The Mummy (1999)
It is the year 1923 and Rick O'Connell, an American explorer, has discovered Hamunaptra, the city of the dead. Three years later, he meets with a beautiful librarian, Evelyn "Evy" Carnahan and her brother, Jonathan. When Evy accidentally revives the mummified corpse of an Egyptian priest, Imhotep, the pair must find a way to kill him before he rises back into power and destroys the world.
The Mummy Returns (2001)
In 1933, Rick O'Connell and Evelyn Carnahan are married with an 8-year-old son, Alex. When Alex triggers a curse and Imhotep is resurrected, Rick and Evy must once again try to save the world and fight both the mummy and the Scorpion King.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)
Set in 1946, the film continues the adventures of Rick O'Connell, his wife Evy, and his son Alex against a different mummy, the Dragon Emperor (Jet Li) of China.