And what it was like filming the Tom Cruise-Russell Crowe fight scene.
As a screenwriter, Alex Kurtzman has worked on some of the biggest franchises of the last decade.
The firstMummyfilm hit theaters 84 years ago, at the dawn of the sound era.
Credit: Universal
Its a stark change from the period-piece action-adventure of the Brendan FraserMummytrilogy.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: In the trailer, we see Tom Cruise die, and then come back to life.
I have to ask: Is Tom Cruise a Mummy in this movie?
Or is that the visual iconography you were trying to create with that moment?
ALEX KURTZMAN:Theres an origin story happening on two different fronts.
And thats great, and its why I pay my money to see his movies.
It removes safety of: He knows what hes doing.
The ending of a more traditional movie would probably be the ending of our first act.
Can you talk about Nick Morton, the character that he is playing?
Ill tell you that he is an amoral, absolutely-out-for-himself guy.
Look at Vincent inCollateral, look at Frank Mackie inMagnolia, look atRain Man.
Lets talk about tone.
Even if you havent seen the originalMummy, you know what that films aesthetic was that shadowy early-horror look.
The Stephen Sommers-Brendan Fraser films brought in more of an action-adventure sensibility.
How did you want thisMummyfilm to feel, compared to the original film and to the otherMummyfilms?
Immediately asking that question, youre in a more grounded attempt at reality.
In terms of tone, lets talk about the distinction between a monster movie and a horror movie.
When I was a kid, I sawFrankenstein, and it terrified me.
They form this beautiful connection.
They pick flowers together.
She hands him the flower and she throws it in the water to show him it can float.
All he was trying to do was make a friend.
As a kid, that kind of scenereallymesses you up psychologically.
Thats what makes a monster movie different from a straight horror movie, or a slasher movie.
Its our ability to fear the monster and fearforthe monster.
So then your version of the Mummy is not just a purely villainous figure?
That clearly suggests a story of some kind for her.
For me, making the Mummy a woman was the reason to make the movie.
What led them to be wrapped up in bandages and buried alive?
There were several drafts that we had developed where the Mummy was a man.
This voice had been saying in my head: Make it a woman, make it a woman!
And the second I opened that door, a world presented itself.
Her story was very different from the other Mummy movies that had existed before.
And in other ways, maybe not so different.
And thats whats so interesting: What doesthatmean?
How did her unique story end up with her being turned into the Mummy?
Youve been referring to the Monster Universe.
Is that the official terminology?
And can you talk about constructingThe Mummyas the first film in a potential cinematic universe?
Its not an official terminology.
Its how everyone has referred to it, as the Monster Universe.
We really have to tell great individual stories.
Obviously, no Mummy movie has ever had Henry Jekyll in it before.
That was a real conversation, a lengthy one.
If were gonna bring Henry Jekyll into the story: Why?
Is Jekyll organic to the story?
Does he bring something specific to the Mummy story, aside from being his own great character?
That doesnt mean anything to me.
it’s crucial that you make me fall in love with that character first.
you should probably introduce that character like Ive never heard of him or her before.
Now youve accomplished two things.
Hes our entry point into the larger world of Monsters.
Russell Crowe and Tom Cruise.
Two of the biggest movie stars of the last few decades.
What was it like filming that scene?
[laughs] A funny thing prepared me for it.
I was a PA on Michael MannsHeat.
Were gonna shoot a scene, thattheyregonna be in,together.
Whats gonnahappenon that day, when those two are sitting across the table from each other?
Jump to now, Im a director, Im not the PA anymore.
It felt very similar to me.
There was a buzz, the whole crew going like: What is it going to be like?
Are theyliterallygoing to punch each other?
Tom and Russell have been wanting to work together for 20 years.
They talked about various projects and it never quite came together.
When this came up, they both were like: Absolutely, lets go!
The physicality of shooting this scene over four days was really intense.
Neither of them will take a stunt man on.
Theyre both utterly committed: Were doing this ourselves!
Theres not gonna be any doubles.
So now youre talking about: What if they injure each other?
Theyre gonna be slamming each other into walls, into glass, into tables.
They really understand how to make it look utterly real without hurting each other.
That being said, its painful to do that for four days.
They were literally slamming each other into things.
They were both unbelievably sore.
It was hard to do, but it was totally joyful.
And you need a huge amount of trust when youre doing that stuff.
Theyre putting themselves in physical jeopardy.
Everything has to be right.
They cant do it too many times, nohumancan.
They make it real.
Cruise himself shared a behind-the-scenes look at the film on Monday morning:
