The mummy genre has always been around, but the 1999 film make it explode into life. How is it still dominating popular culture today?
There have been many dominant cultural references we have seen over time, which seem to come in and out of fashion as their legends take on new meanings and fantasies. One of the most famous may be Dracula which has had many film adaptations and stories written about it.
There are also common and reoccurring themes such as zombies and werewolves which also get a lot of attention. Another legend that gets a similar amount of attention is are mummies. This was bought back into the public imagination in 1999 when The Mummy was released which gained cult status as one of the films of the decade, 2017 we saw it further extended with the remake.
This saw an explosion in the demand for mummy related everything which we have seen in Universal Studios with their thrill ride ‘Revenge of the Mummy’ which opened in 2004. It’s one of the most unique indoor roller coasters in the world and creates an incredible experience. The same ride is in three separate locations at Universal Studios theme parks in Florida, Hollywood and Singapore.
The love of ancient Egypt is still strong
That’s far from the only place where we see mummy related content, as the fascination with the subject and ancient Egypt in general still lives strong. We can see this with Tut's Twister, one of the epic video slots from Yggdrasil Gaming. Like with the thrill ride at Universal Studios, it’s an entertaining way to keep the mummy fever alive, but just in a whole new different context.
Slot games are always trying to keep up with the latest trends and fashions, but there are a few old classic themes that they’ll keep coming back to including mummies. It’s no surprise as people will love the subject, and tourism to the great pyramids still remains strong after all of these years. I’m sure they’ll be different movies and games made in the future with a new mummy idea.
Sometimes though a new film can come along and reinvent a character or a myth just like the recent Batman films have. That has created a whole new line of action figures just like it did with the mummy films. It’s another example of just how a movie can capture people’s imaginations and make them crave a whole new type of content.
There are the likes of theme parks, slot machines and toy makers who are always looking for the next thing that will sell. The idea of the mummy will always be popular, but the giant movie demon gave new life to the mummy and 19 years after that film came out, it’s still very much alive today. That 2017 remake wasn’t by any means the most highly rated action film ever made, but it still took in over $400m at the box office worldwide.
That 1999 film will be still making a lot of money too. There are certain films that come along and capture the public’s imagination, even if they aren’t the greatest films ever made. Movies seem to have the power to set long-lasting trends unlike any other. It was the films that made Harry Potter such a global phenomenon and the same could be said for the likes of James Bond and Lord of the Rings as well which all started out as books.
Once we have been enchanted by a big movie screen release then we are hungry for more content from them in other forms, whether that is slot machines with mummy themes like Tut’s Twister, Harry Potter world, James Bond’s cars or Lord of the Rings merchandise. Relationships are created with these movies and I have no doubt in the future we’ll see plenty more mummy content in a whole range of different ways.
