So, you’re trying to figure out exactly how many The Mummy movies are there, right? It sounds like a simple enough question. You’d think you could just count them on your fingers and move on with your day.
But honestly? It’s a total mess.
Depending on who you ask—a die-hard Brendan Fraser fan, a classic horror nerd, or someone who actually remembers the Tom Cruise reboot—the answer changes. If we’re talking strictly about the big, official Universal Pictures lineage, there are 11 core films as of 2026. However, if you start counting the spin-offs, the weird 1940s sequels, and the Hammer Horror era, the number easily jumps into the double digits.
The Original Universal Monsters (1932–1955)
Everything basically started because of King Tut. When his tomb was found in 1922, the world went absolutely nuts for Egyptology. Universal Pictures, being smart, cashed in by casting Boris Karloff in the 1932 classic The Mummy.
He wasn't a staggering, bandage-wrapped zombie for most of it, though. He was Imhotep, a creepy guy trying to find his lost love. But that one movie launched a whole "cycle."
Between 1940 and 1944, Universal cranked out four sequels that swapped Imhotep for a new mummy named Kharis. These were basically the original "slasher" movies. Kharis just shuffled around, strangled people, and drank tana leaves. Then, in 1955, the comedy duo Abbott and Costello met the monster, which sorta killed the vibe for a few decades.
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- The Mummy (1932)
- The Mummy's Hand (1940)
- The Mummy's Tomb (1942)
- The Mummy's Ghost (1944)
- The Mummy's Curse (1944)
- Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955)
The Brendan Fraser Renaissance
This is the one everyone actually cares about. In 1999, Stephen Sommers reimagined the story as an Indiana Jones-style action flick. It was perfect. You had Rick O’Connell, Evy, and Benie (who was the worst, but we love him).
This trilogy is the gold standard for most fans. It gave us The Mummy Returns in 2001—which introduced The Rock as the Scorpion King—and eventually The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor in 2008. Most people try to forget that last one because Rachel Weisz didn't come back, and it moved the setting to China. It just felt... off.
The Scorpion King Spin-offs
Here is where the math gets genuinely annoying. If you’re asking how many The Mummy movies are there and you include the Scorpion King movies, you're adding five more titles to your list.
The first one was a huge theatrical release. The rest? They went straight to DVD (or "home video" back in the day). They follow the character Mathayus, and honestly, they vary wildly in quality. But technically, they are part of the Stephen Sommers "Mummy-verse."
- The Scorpion King (2002)
- The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior (2008)
- The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption (2012)
- The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power (2015)
- The Scorpion King: Book of Souls (2018)
The Reboots and the 2026 Revival
We have to talk about the 2017 version. Universal tried to start something called the "Dark Universe" with Tom Cruise. It was supposed to be like the MCU but for monsters. It flopped. Hard. People hated that it felt more like a Mission Impossible movie than a horror-adventure.
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But hold on. Just when we thought the bandages were tucked away for good, 2026 brought a new contender. Directed by Lee Cronin (who did Evil Dead Rise), the 2026 The Mummy took things back to a much darker, more grounded horror roots. It’s a standalone thing, separate from the Fraser movies and the Cruise disaster.
Let’s Settle the Count
If you want to win a trivia night, here is the breakdown of the major Universal "Mummy" timeline:
The Classic Era: 6 Movies.
The Sommers/Fraser Trilogy: 3 Movies.
The Dark Universe Reboot: 1 Movie.
The 2026 Horror Reboot: 1 Movie.
That is 11 movies that are officially "The Mummy."
If you add the 5 Scorpion King spin-offs, you're at 16.
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And if you’re a real completionist? You’d have to look at the Hammer Horror films from the 50s and 60s like The Mummy's Shroud or the 1959 remake with Christopher Lee. Those aren't Universal, but they are "Mummy movies."
Why do we keep making them?
It's the "curse" element. Every generation seems to find a new way to be scared of—or entertained by—the idea of something ancient coming back to claim what it lost. Whether it’s Karloff’s quiet menace or Fraser’s "hey, look at this" charm, the character just won't stay buried.
Actionable Insight for Fans: If you’re planning a marathon, stick to the Universal 8-Movie Collection (which includes the Fraser trilogy and all five Scorpion King films) for the most cohesive experience. If you want true scares, skip the 2017 Cruise version and head straight for the 1932 original or the 2026 Lee Cronin reboot.
To stay current on where the franchise goes next, keep an eye on Universal's "Epic Universe" theme park developments, as the "Dark Universe" branding is being resurrected there in a big way, regardless of how the 2017 movie performed.