AceShowbiz - Lee Cronin's The Mummy has stunned fans by surpassing the long-standing audience approval record held by Brendan Fraser's beloved mummy trilogy on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite mixed to negative reviews from critics, the latest R-rated horror installment has clearly resonated with viewers, carving a unique place within the franchise’s legacy.

Before its release, critical reception for Lee Cronin's The Mummy was lukewarm at best. Reviewers pointed to an uneven tone and storytelling problems, often citing the film as a derivative work resembling Evil Dead Rise, another film directed by Cronin. The horror movie’s R-rating allowed for intense gore and unsettling visuals, which many critics acknowledged, but they felt the film lacked deeper substance. The movie currently holds a 45% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes based on over 121 reviews.

However, the audience score tells a different story. Fans have given the movie a strong 77% approval rating, indicating a clear divide between critics and general viewers. This score makes Lee Cronin's The Mummy the highest-rated entry in the entire franchise on Rotten Tomatoes from an audience perspective, surpassing the 27-year-old record previously set by Brendan Fraser’s 1999 film The Mummy, which had a 75% audience score.

To put this achievement into perspective, here are the comparative Rotten Tomatoes scores for The Mummy franchise movies:

The new film's audience score also eclipses that of many classic mummy movies from the Universal Classic Monsters era, including the original 1932 version, which holds a 71% audience score. It even outperforms the Hammer and Stephen Sommers series, with the exception of the direct-to-video spinoff The Scorpion King: Book of Souls (2018), which has a 79% audience rating.

Audiences seem to appreciate the film’s intense horror elements and visual style more than critics, who focused heavily on the film’s narrative shortcomings. Many viewers praised the performance of Natalie Grace, who portrays the possessed eldest daughter and has been highlighted as the standout performer for her eerie and compelling role. Although the movie deviates from the traditional mummy mythos, the suspense and fresh take on the story have kept moviegoers engaged.

Lee Cronin's The Mummy follows a family grappling with the return of their eldest daughter, Katie, who vanished in Egypt for eight years. Upon her return, strange and disturbing behaviors emerge, threatening the family’s safety. The cast includes Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, and Verónica Falcón. Importantly, this movie is not connected to the Brendan Fraser trilogy, a distinction emphasized by Blumhouse through social media. This separation is also reflected in production, as the new film is produced by New Line Cinema, while the Fraser films were Universal productions.

As of now, it remains uncertain whether a sequel to Lee Cronin's The Mummy will be developed. The film’s conclusion leaves room for continuation, and the director himself has expressed willingness to expand the lore depending on the audience's reception. Financially, projections estimate an opening weekend gross of around $13 million against a $22 million budget.

Meanwhile, Universal Pictures is actively working on reviving the cherished 1990s mummy era. The upcoming fourth movie in that series will bring back Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, and John Hannah, with the directing reins handed to horror filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett of Radio Silence. This revival aims to rekindle the magic of the original trilogy, offering fans a nostalgic yet fresh experience.

Currently, Lee Cronin's The Mummy is playing in theaters, delivering a bold, horror-driven take on the mummy legend that has divided critics but captivated audiences in a meaningful way.