Russell Crowe in talks to develop a split personality for Mummy reboot

By Adam Poltrack Published May 4, 2016

russel crowe mummy jekyll hyde the water diviner russell 202928 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

For the past 15 years, Russell Crowe has been one of Hollywood’s steadiest A-listers but in a franchise-heavy movie business, he has somehow missed out on that particular gravy train. According to ScreenCrush, however, he may jump on board yet, albeit in a somewhat unlikely fashion.

The actor is reportedly in talks to play Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde in Tom Cruise’s upcoming Mummy reboot. No, we didn’t get our headlines crossed, it appears that Universal is setting up a Marvel-style monster movie universe and that Crowe could even play the good/bad doctor in several different films. While no one has signed on the dotted line just yet, there is mutual interest after talks fell through with both Tom Hardy and Javier Bardem.

Recommended Videos

Dracula, Wolfman, and Frankenstein projects are reportedly also in the works but it’s unclear at this point how the films will connect. After so many big-screen flops, it would certainly be nice to see a bit of life injected into Mary Shelley’s monster, but we’ll have to wait and see if Universal can pull this ambitious project off.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

In the meantime, Alex Kurtzman is helming the Mummy reboot, which is currently filming in London with a cast that includes Sofia Boutella (Kingsman: The Secret Service), Jake Johnson (New Girl), and, of course, Tom Cruise. It’s not clear exactly how Crowe’s character(s) come into play in this film and whether he would portray the benevolent Dr. Jekyll only, the maniacal Mr. Hyde only, or both of them. Either way, he would certainly be an intriguing addition to the cast.

The Mummy is currently scheduled for a June 9, 2017, release and is a reboot of the late ‘90s/early 2000s franchise that starred Brendan Fraser.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Adam is an A/V News Writer for Digital Trends, and is responsible for bringing you the latest advances in A/V…

Entertainment

If you have to watch one Disney+ movie this December 2024, stream this one

Two adults look at a child in Pete's Dragon.

It's not quite as dominant as Netflix, but Disney+ has emerged as one of the biggest streaming services in the world. As you peruse it, though, you might find that it mostly directs you toward the things you would expect to watch there (i.e. Star Wars, Marvel, and various animated movies).

If you're looking for something on Disney+ that's a little more off that beaten path, you should start with Pete's Dragon. While it's a live-action remake of a Disney animated classic, Pete's Dragon is not as soulless as many of those movies have been. Telling the story of a young boy who lives alone in the woods with a dragon, it's actually a pretty moving story. Here are three reasons you should check it out this December.

Entertainment

35 years ago, the meanest movie of the 1980s was released and became a big hit

Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas in bed together looking at each other in the poster for The War of the Roses.

The black comedy is a subgenre that is dangerously close to extinction. Once the kick in the pants the genre needed to stay fresh and in fashion, the black comedy is now nearly non-existent on the big screen, at least with the vicious and unforgiving bite it came in during the late '80s and mid-'90s. Comedy as a whole is going through a tough time at the box office, but this ruthless subgenre is particularly struggling -- 2020's I Care a Lot and perennial TV mainstay It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia notwithstanding.

Thirty-five years ago, however, the black comedy reached its peak with Danny DeVito's The War of the Roses, one of the darkest and most savage entries into the subgenre's annals. Starring '80s icons Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, plus DeVito himself, the film marked the trio's last hurrah in a decade that saw them reach the height of their respective careers. In retrospect, it's astounding just how fresh and topical this wicked satire feels in 2024, capturing much of today's sensibilities in truly subversive fashion. On its 35th anniversary, it's the perfect time to revisit this timeless yet somewhat underrated effort, quite possibly the nastiest and most ruthless comedy of the 1980s.
When love turns to hate

Entertainment

The first trailer for Yellowjackets season 3 promises even more bloodshed

Sophie Nelisse in Yellowjackets

Those crazy cannibals are at it again. Showtime unveiled its first teaser for season 3 of Yellowjackets during CCXP 2024 in São Paulo, Brazil, and it gives us a sense of where the show is headed next.

The teaser opens with text warning that the past will come back to "hunt" you and closes with the first look at Hilary Swank's character, who will be a new addition for season 3. In between, we get a series of cuts between the past and the present as the girls in the woods make it to spring, and the women in the present realize that someone may be trying to kill them.