‘The Mummy’: Luca Guadagnino Is Interested In Remaking The Horror Classic As A “Very Scary” Small-Scale Film

With all the awards recognition he received after the release of his film, “Call Me By Your Name,” you would have thought that Luca Guadagnino would have maybe stayed in the romantic drama lane for his later films. However, that’s definitely not what happened, as the filmmaker went on to direct the 2018 “Suspiria” remake. And while there is plenty of romance in his new film, “Bones and All,” the film is ultimately about cannibals and the horror that comes along with that. All that to say, Guadagnino clearly has a soft spot for horror and terrifying films. 

READ MORE: Brendan Fraser Thinks Tom Cruise’s ‘Mummy’ Reboot Failed Because It Wasn’t “Fun”

So, when he was asked by Collider if he’d like to remake another classic horror film, as he did with “Suspiria,” the gears were clearly working in Luca Guadagnino’s mind. When it came to him revealing which film he might want to take a shot at eventually, he came up with “The Mummy.”

“Oh my god. That’s an incredible question that I didn’t prepare myself . Oh my god, what should I do?” said Guadagnino. “I think it would be amazing to do something about ‘The Mummy.’”

READ MORE: ‘Bones And All’ Review: Timothée Chalamet Shines In Luca Guadagnino’s Ravishing Cannibal Coming-Of-Ager [Venice]

He added, “It’s a rotten body in rotten bandages, so what’s inside is [as] interesting as what’s outside…It should be very scary and very, very terminal. It should be a little movie but with a lot of depth and very scary.”

READ MORE: Alex Kurtzman Says ‘The Mummy’ Was “Brutal,” But “The Failure Rebuilt Him Into A Tougher, Clearer Filmmaker”

To the general public, modern interpretations of “The Mummy” have either been really campy and fun (the trilogy of Brendan Fraser-led films) or focused more on action and worldbuilding (Tom Cruise’s failed attempt). It’s been a very long time before someone has taken a really scary, horrific take on the character and lore. And given what Guadagnino is willing to show in “Suspiria” and “Bones and All,” it’s clear he’s a filmmaker unafraid of gore and disturbing imagery. 

Obviously, as much as we’d love to see Guadagnino take on “The Mummy,” it would appear that Universal wants the classic horror monsters to be fairly big-budget, blockbuster affairs. Or, at least, not arthouse-leaning which is where Guadagnino feels most comfortable. Regardless, Guadagnino taking on “The Mummy” would be an inspired choice, and we’d be there happily watching it on the big screen.