You know how no one admits that Rocky V happened? Even Stallone himself won’t admit it, that’s why he named the new one Balboa. Smart move there Sly. I bring this up because now The Mummy franchise has officially ended after The Mummy Returns.
Last month we told you Weisz was out for the third one. Now the news has come down that:
Universal Pictures and director Rob Cohen have set Luke Ford to star in the third installment of “The Mummy,” in a move that potentially sets the franchise up for future films.
You probably remember director Rob Cohen from the worst movie ever, Daylight, or the second worst movie ever, Stealth. You don’t remember Luke Ford from anything. Trust me, I’ve looked. He could walk up to you with an “I’m Luke Ford” shirt on and you wouldn’t recognize him. So naturally he’ll be playing Brendan Fraser’s son. I’ll let that marinate a bit.
Now check out this math if you want your head to hurt. The original kid who played Fraser’s son was ten back in 2001. Seven years later he will have aged sixteen years. You thought the old sitcom technique of aging someone a decade was long gone didn’t you?
Here is the rationale behind this nonsense:
“We may spin off into a complete father-son direction with Brendan but by getting an actor who is in his 20s and not a teenager, we can also put the future on his shoulders,” Cohen told Daily Variety. “He tested against four much more established actors, and he was magic when he read with Brendan.”
Yes. Magic. In this case “magic” means “he would sign a contract for eight bucks and a pair of sneakers.” And of course you wouldn’t want a teenage actor who would age with the franchise while appearing age appropriate. Nope, you want a dude in his 30’s playing 20, The O.C. style.
Let’s recap: Crappy director, no Weisz, Brendan’s son ages a decade and is helmed by an unknown.
Don’t go buying the Porsches yet guys, but I think we’ve got a hit on our hands.
