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Andres Muschietti, who directed Universal’s surprise hit horror movie Mama, is circling a deal to come aboard the studio’s reboot of its Mummy franchise.
The move comes after an intense search caused by the late July exit of Len Wiseman.
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It is also one of the first decisive moves made by Donna Langley, who was made chairman of Universal Pictures after Monday’s dramatic shake-up that saw the exit of chairman Adam Fogelson and the elevation of Jeff Shell to chairman of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group. (To be clear, however, Muschietti first began to meet with the studio in August.)
Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci are producing the reboot along with Sean Daniel.
Although the original Mummy (1932) was set in the 1920s, as were the Brendan Fraser adventure movies, the new script, by Jon Spaihts, sets the tale in the modern age.
While plot details are being kept locked in a sarcophagus, the studio is describing the new movie as an “action-adventure tentpole with horror elements” with new characters.
Muschietti made his feature and English-language debut with Mama, which starred Jessica Chastain and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. The Spanish director is a protege of Guillermo del Toro, who produced the movie with Barbara Muschietti and Miles Dale that expanded a story Muschietti first made as a short.
Mama proved to be a surprise hit when it was released in January, scaring up $146 million worldwide ($71.6 million domestically) on a budget of $15 million.
Muschietti is repped by Resolution.
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