The Mummy Returns star Brendan Fraser has defended the infamous Scorpion King CGI in the sequel. Fraser served as the lead in three Mummy films from 1999 to 2008, starring as the adventurer Rick O’Connell. In The Mummy Returns, the 2001 sequel to the original film, Dwayne Johnson made his feature film debut as Mathayus the Scorpion King, an antagonist in the movie. Johnson went on to star in 2002’s The Scorpion King, though he didn’t return to share the screen with Fraser for third installment The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.
In the two decades since The Mummy Returns, the movie has been criticized heavily for the CGI that brought Johnson’s Scorpion King to life. The visual effects artists that worked on the film have previously spoken about the effects not standing the test of time, explaining a few reasons for the Scorpion King’s notoriously rough look. During an appearance in a video for GQ, Fraser addresses the Scorpion King’s infamous CGI rendering in The Mummy Returns and defends its dated look. See what he has to say below:
“I know, I know, be kind. The guys who did the CGI of the Scorpion King, at the premiere, they were like, ‘hey, how are you, good job. You know, we did the CG for the Scorpion King.’ And they kind of went, ‘yeah, we needed a little more time [Laughs] before we…’ But it was very last minute, I don’t know. But some of the charm of it is that when you watch it now, like it could get remastered I guess, but it kinda wouldn’t be as fun if you didn’t see this sort of janky video character of Dwayne going ‘rawwwh.’ [Laughs] And somehow, it’s just perfect, how things work out.”
Fraser Has A Good Point About The Mummy Returns’ CGI
The use of CGI has changed significantly since 2001, with new technology rendering the special effects in The Mummy Returns even more “janky,” as Fraser puts it. However, the actor explains that even the VFX artists were disappointed with the character’s look when the film was released, since they didn’t have enough time to iron out the kinks. Additionally, the VFX supervisor for The Mummy Returns, John Berton Jr., has previously mentioned that his team lacked the references they needed due to Johnson’s busy schedule, which was also why Fraser and Johnson didn’t even meet until after the film had wrapped production.
Despite the much-acknowledged issues with the Scorpion King’s CGI, which has been the source of ridicule by Mummy fans in the years since the sequel’s release, Fraser raises a compelling point about the issue. The rough CGI adds a component of nostalgia to the cult sequel, which has only grown in the two decades since The Mummy Returns premiered. The Mummy franchise already lends itself to an over-the-top and goofy nature at times, with the comedic moments often striking an excellent balance with the action. As a result, the Scorpion King’s look in The Mummy Returns certainly infuses an extra level of goofiness into the movie, which can take away from the monstrous character’s fear factor. On the other hand, it makes for an even more entertaining viewing experience.
Will The Mummy 4 Happen?
In the twenty-one years since The Mummy Returns, both Fraser and Johnson have been outwardly supportive of one another, expressing a mutual appreciation for their time spent on the sequel despite never shooting a scene together face to face. Fraser enjoys a good relationship with most of his former co-stars from the franchise, who have expressed joy about his career success in the wake of his acclaimed new film The Whale. The fondness that exists between the co-stars, along with Fraser’s often expressed interest in making another Mummy movie, has led some to hope that The Mummy 4 could be a possibility in the future. With Fraser on board, The Mummy 4 could potentially follow the example of many legacy sequels and action reboots that have come out in recent years, which would be an exciting prospect for fans of the original franchise.
