Looking to bring some authenticity to the planned reboot of The Mummy franchise, director Len Wiseman and Universal Pictures have snagged Tutankhamun, the 18th dynasty Egyptian pharaoh, to star in the new film.

Best known as King Tut, the once-popular pharaoh is reportedly hellbent on making a comeback, as interest in Tut and his many possessions have waned a lot since his tomb was discovered back in 1922. To help make his leap to the silver screen, Tutankhamun is being rep’d by Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, who hope their client’s involvement in the Universal Pictures sequel will promote tourism and raise Egyptology back from the dead.

While the new movie, titled The Mummy: Back From The Tomb, will be filmed almost exclusively in Egypt, including at the original site of the tomb’s discovery, officials were initially hesitant to allow this idea to gain any support. Once a deal was cut for Tut King to get his own on-set trailer and two personal assistants, as well as an unspecified amount of close-up shots in the film, the deal was sealed.

Now that the ball has started rolling, Tut is reportedly acting like the diva we all remember from the 1970s. Apparently the afterlife is pretty expensive and it wasn’t until he got there that he came to understood the saying “You can’t take it with you.” Not that he didn’t try to take it all with him, but unfortunately Howard Carter brought that to abrupt halt when he emptied the tomb years ago. And now that Egypt’s former boy-king has a cash flow problem, this looks like the perfect opportunity to rectify that situation, once and for all. No word on how much of a cut the Supreme Council will be getting, but since they brokered the deal, it will probably be the lion’s share.

Additionally, Brendan Fraser has delayed filming on Furry Vengeance 2: Bear In Mind in order to reprise his role as Rick O’Connell, as Universal has decided that no Mummy, even a reboot, would be complete with him. Rumor has it that Megan Fox and Kristen Stewart were both being sought for the female lead, as Wiseman really wanted a solid actress with excellent stage presence to balance out Fraser’s classical thespian skillset.

This will definitely be one to watch, incorporating the new style of Mummy movies with the one mummy who captured the world’s attention almost a century ago. I, for one, cannot wait to see it. We’ll keep you abreast as more details present themselves!

Additional contribution by Empress Eve.

[Source: AFD]