The star could be returning to the beloved franchise
Brendan Fraser made his name playing Rick O'Connell in the 'Mummy' series of movies, and now the actor has said he would be up for returning to the series.
Fraser, who is tipped to win an Oscar for his turn in the Darren Aronofsky drama 'The Whale', said he would be open to playing Rick O'Connell again.
Speaking to Variety, Fraser admits he "wouldn't really know" how a new film in the franchise could be made, but he said, "I’d be open to it if someone came up with the right conceit."
Fraser played the swashbuckling hero in 3 'Mummy' films, last playing the role in 2008's 'Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor'.
The franchise was rebooted in 2017 with Tom Cruise, but the film was one of the biggest box office bombs of the 2010s.
Fan and critical reaction to the film was mixed, and Fraser identified where the movie went wrong.
"It is hard to make that movie,” he said.
"The ingredient that we had going for our Mummy, which I didn’t see in that film, was fun. That was what was lacking in that incarnation. It was too much of a straight-ahead horror movie."
"The Mummy’ should be a thrill ride, but not terrifying and scary," he added.
"I know how difficult it is to pull it off - I tried to do it three times!".
Fraser's old director Steven Sommers praised Fraser's performance in the film, and how he was game for all the stuntwork that was thrown at him.
"He could throw a punch and take a punch and he had a great sense of humor,” Sommers said.
"You really like the guy, he never comes across as cocky or arrogant."
Sommers revealed that Fraser did as many of his own stunts as he could, even injuring his knee at one point, but soldiered through so the film could be completed.
"He was game for anything we threw at him," Sommers recalled.
Fraser is riding a wave of public goodwill for his Oscar-tipped role in 'The Whale', with the film receiving standing ovations at the London and Venice film festivals.
Director Darren Aronofsky, who also engineered a career comeback for Mickey Rourke in 'The Wrestler', said he was "surprised" at how much fan affection there was for Fraser.
"It definitely was not part of my calculation, how much goodwill and support there is out there for Brendan," the 'Black Swan' director said.
"I just needed the right actor for the role. But it’s amazing to see how people respond to him. I think they’re going to be impressed by how the same actor who played all those honest, innocent characters back then is portraying this complicated, messed-up person."