‘Obsession’ breakout star Michael Johnston is in early talks for a role in the next ‘Mummy’ film from Uinversal Pictures

Michael Johnston is currently in early talks to join the cast of the upcoming Mummy film from Universal Pictures, Deadline reported. This news comes on the heels of his breakout performance in the horror film Obsession, directed by Curry Barker. There is no official word yet on what specific role Johnston might take on. If the deal goes through, he will be starring opposite returning cast members Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, and John Hannah.

Reps for Universal Pictures have declined to comment on the casting news at this time. The project is being directed by the team from Radio Silence, specifically Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. They are working from a script written by David Coggeshall, who is known for his work on The Family Plan and Orphan: First Kill.

Sean Daniel is set to produce the film alongside William Sherak, James Vanderbilt, and Paul Neinstein of Project X Entertainment. Clayton Townsend is also producing, while Brendan Fraser and Hivemind’s Jason F. Brown are serving as executive producers. Fans of the franchise have a bit of a wait ahead of them, as the movie is currently slated for release on October 15, 2027.

Johnston has certainly earned his spot in the conversation after his recent success

In Obsession, he plays Bear, a lovelorn character whose life is turned upside down by the One Wish Willow. This role serves as a major career milestone for the actor, coming nearly 15 years into his screen acting career. The film has been a massive hit for Focus Features, currently standing as their top-grossing movie of all time with over $458M in worldwide earnings.

The Mummy franchise has a deep history as one of the original Universal movie monsters from the early 20th century. The films released in the 90s and 2000s were instrumental in turning Brendan Fraser into one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.

Those original stories followed the adventures of Rick O’Connell, a roguish American adventurer and former French Foreign Legion soldier. Alongside the English Egyptologist Evelyn Carnahan, played by Rachel Weisz, he battled ancient curses and the resurrected Egyptian high priest Imhotep.

Stephen Sommers directed both 1999’s The Mummy and 2001’s The Mummy Returns, and both movies were huge successes, each topping $400M worldwide. That level of success eventually led to the Dwayne Johnson spinoff The Scorpion King and several other titles.