Lee Cronin and Jack Reynor have teased a darker new take on The Mummy, with the Irish director and actor saying their Irish-shot film is an over-18s horror that brings the classic monster back to its roots.
Speaking to RTÉ 2FM's Emma Power, Cronin said he wanted the film to deliver emotional weight as well as big-screen scares, building the story around a family already living through devastating loss. "If there were no supernatural aspects, that would still be a very traumatic situation," he said.
Watch: Lee Cronin says his Mummy is a darker, more personal horror that puts the monster at the centre of the story
Cronin said that while there have been many memorable Mummy films over the years, his aim was to push the monster back to the forefront in a version that is much more frightening and personal.
"There were great Mummy movies in the past," he said, "but what we wanted to do was to create a Mummy movie that actually brought the monster to the fore and made it a really horrifically good time at the cinema."
Click here to read our full review of The Mummy
He added: "It’s still a movie that has a lot of scale and a big story and a big mystery, but it’s much more personal.
"I think that’s the thing, to come in and watch a movie that will hit you in the heart, but also make you shake."
Reynor said he could tell from the script that this version would stand apart from earlier entries and lean much more heavily into horror.
Watch: Jack Reynor said shooting The Mummy in Ireland at Ardmore Studios brought energy and creativity to the production
"I felt when I read the script that this was gonna stand very clearly apart from other Mummy films," he said. "It was gonna come back to kind of the horror roots of The Mummy, basically."
The actor also praised the experience of making the film in Ireland, saying shooting at Ardmore Studios and working with Irish crews brought a particular energy to the production.
"I think it’s because Irish crews do it because of the love of it," he said. "Everybody’s proud to be there and they’re always putting 120% in."
Cronin also reflected on the kind of horror that still unsettles him, saying supernatural stories continue to get under his skin.
"A movie like The Exorcist still scares me. It’s the Catholic upbringing in Ireland," he said.
Reynor said Cronin’s mix of horror, gore and dark humour is what makes the new film feel made for the cinema.
The Mummy is in cinemas now.
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