It’s actually kinda wild when you think about it. Tom Cruise is arguably the last true movie star who can drag a hundred million people into a theater just by running really fast in a tight t-shirt. He’s the guy who jumps out of planes and flies real jets. But back in 2017, he tried something that felt... off. He tried to fight the undead.
People often search for the tom cruise zombie film thinking they missed some secret sequel to World War Z or a hidden gem in his filmography. They didn't. They’re usually thinking of The Mummy.
What Really Happened With That Tom Cruise Zombie Film?
Most people don't go into a movie called The Mummy expecting a zombie apocalypse. But that’s exactly what Universal Pictures handed us. It wasn't just a reboot of the Brendan Fraser classics; it was supposed to be the "Iron Man" of a new franchise called the Dark Universe.
The plot basically follows Nick Morton (Cruise), a soldier of fortune who accidentally unearths an ancient prison. Inside is Ahmanet, an Egyptian princess who was buried alive for being, well, murderous. Once she's out, she starts sucking the life out of random people in London to regenerate.
Here is the kicker: the people she kills don't stay dead.
They turn into these shriveled, jerky-moving husks that follow her every command. They look like zombies. They act like zombies. They bite like zombies. Honestly, if you walked into the room halfway through the subway chase scene, you’d swear you were watching a high-budget episode of The Walking Dead.
The World War Z Confusion
A lot of the "tom cruise zombie film" searches actually stem from a Mandela Effect-style mix-up with Brad Pitt.
- World War Z is the definitive 2010s "movie star vs. zombies" flick.
- Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise have very similar "action dad" energy in their later careers.
- Cruise was actually rumored for various zombie projects over the years, including a potential World War Z sequel that David Fincher was supposed to direct before Paramount pulled the plug in 2019.
When people remember a massive A-list actor sprinting through a city away from a literal wall of undead bodies, their brain sometimes swaps Pitt for Cruise. It makes sense. Cruise is the one who does the running. But in reality, the only time we've seen Tom face a horde of the walking dead was in that ill-fated 2017 monster mash.
Why The Mummy Felt More Like a Zombie Movie Than Horror
There is a specific vibe to a Tom Cruise movie. It’s usually about a guy who is the best at what he does, facing impossible odds with a grin. That doesn't really mesh well with traditional Gothic horror. To make it work, director Alex Kurtzman leaned heavily into action-horror.
Instead of slow, creeping dread, we got "shamblers."
The undead in this film aren't just mummies in bandages. They are skeletal, fast, and surprisingly numerous. They swarm. There is a specific scene in a church where Cruise is just punching and kicking his way through a dozen of them. It’s pure action cinema.
The critics weren't kind.
The movie currently sits at a 15% on Rotten Tomatoes. Most people felt it spent too much time trying to set up future movies—like Russell Crowe’s Dr. Jekyll—and not enough time being a good movie on its own. It’s a shame, really. Some of the stunts, like the zero-gravity plane crash, are genuinely incredible because, of course, Cruise actually did them in a real diving plane.
Is There a New Tom Cruise Zombie Movie Coming?
As of 2026, the short answer is no. Cruise is currently busy with much weirder stuff.
He’s been working with Alejandro G. Iñárritu on a film titled Digger, which is set for an October 2026 release. It’s being described as a frantic thriller about a man trying to save humanity from a disaster he unleashed. While "disaster" could mean anything, the early teasers suggest something much more grounded and psychological than a zombie plague.
Also, he’s still technically trying to go to space.
The long-delayed SpaceX project with Doug Liman is still on the horizon. When you’re busy trying to film a movie in actual Earth orbit, fighting actors in grey makeup probably feels a bit "been there, done that."
Actionable Insights for Fans of the Genre
If you’re looking for that specific itch of a high-stakes, big-budget zombie experience and you’ve already realized the tom cruise zombie film is actually a mummy movie, here’s what you should actually watch:
- World War Z (2013): This is the movie your brain thinks Cruise was in. It’s the closest thing to a "Cruise-style" zombie epic.
- Train to Busan: If you want the intensity Cruise brings to his stunts, this South Korean masterpiece is the gold standard for zombie movement and tension.
- The Mummy (1999): If you want a Mummy movie that’s actually fun, go back to Brendan Fraser. It has "mummy guards," but they feel like a fantasy adventure rather than a depressing slog.
- Edge of Tomorrow: If you want Cruise in a "hopeless war" scenario against a swarm of monsters, this is his best work. They aren't zombies, but the "Mimics" have that same overwhelming, hive-mind energy.
The 2017 Mummy remains a fascinating footnote. It’s the movie that killed an entire cinematic universe before it even started. It’s also the only time we’ll likely ever see Tom Cruise trade blows with a skeleton in a London tomb. If you haven't seen it, it’s worth a watch just for the spectacle of a "zombie movie" hidden inside a $125 million franchise reboot. Just don't expect a sequel.
To get the most out of your movie night, check the streaming status of The Mummy (2017) on platforms like Peacock or Max, as Universal titles frequently cycle through those services. If you're looking for the original World War Z to compare the two, it's a staple on Paramount+ and often available for digital rental on Amazon.