Rabat — Picture the narrow streets of Tangier’s old city filled with cameras, lights and a Hollywood crew. It’s about to happen. The production of “The Mummy 4” arrives in Morocco on Monday, October 19, flying from London’s Heathrow Airport with the cast and crew of the fourth film in the hit Mummy franchise.
According to Le360, the team has been busy in Tangier, arranging hotels, led by the Tazi Hotel in the Jbel Kebir area, to secure locations and organizing a very large crew. More than 1,240 people, including actors, crew and production staff, are expected to take part. That would make it one of the biggest film shoots the city has seen in recent years.
Filming officially starts on the evening of Friday, October 23. Outdoor scenes will be shot in Tangier, Tetouan and Asilah until Saturday, October 31. The crew will then move to the southeast, with shoots in Erfoud, Rissani, Merzouga and Errachidia, and the production will end in Ouarzazate.
The same source states that directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are already in the city, with Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah and Oded Fehr.
Local authorities and security services are securing the filming routes in the old city, mainly around the Kasbah district and Bab Kasbah. They are also securing the archaeological sites and historic restaurants that will appear in the film.
The story and the release
The story follows explorer Rick O’Connell and Egyptologist Evelyn Carnahan on a new adventure set in Tangier. They are drawn into a mystery about long-hidden secrets and legends. It comes after their fight against Emperor Han and his army of the undead in the previous film.
Technical teams from the production company scouted Tangier several months ago and used drones to survey the sites and choose camera angles. The old city’s streets reportedly impressed both the filmmakers and the lead actors.
The franchise began almost three decades ago. “The Mummy” (1999) earned more than $409 million worldwide, and “The Mummy Returns” (2001) earned $443 million. The third film, “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,” came out in 2008.
The film, overseen by the production group Radio Silence, will reach cinemas worldwide on October 15, 2027. That date was moved up from May 19, 2028.
Who’s returning for ‘The Mummy 4’?
Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz are officially back as Rick and Evelyn O’Connell, and neither needed much convincing. When asked by GQ in November 2022 whether he’d revisit the franchise, Fraser said yes right away, remembering the earlier films as great fun. Weisz expressed similar enthusiasm in an April 2023 interview with Net-a-Porter.
John Hannah, Oded Fehr and Kevin J. O’Connor are also returning, while Michael Johnston and Numan Acar join the series as newcomers.
