DUBAI: The stars of “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” are marking the cinema release of the horror film, which made $5.2 million at North American theaters on its opening day on Friday.
Industry estimates forecast that the film will take in $13 million at 3,304 theaters by the end of the weekend, according to Deadline.
The silver screen reimagining of Karl Freund’s 1932 classic stars Egyptian Palestinian actress May Calamawy and Egyptian actress May Elghety.
Veronica Falcon, Jack Reynor and Laia Costa round out the cast.
The cast and crew attended a special screening at the Hollywood American Legion Post 43 in Los Angeles earlier in the month, with Calamawy showing off special-effects makeup that looked like a gash on her throat.
“A lot of you are concerned about my neck … go watch @leecroninsthemummy,” Calamawy posted on Instagram after the screening.
Both Calamawy and Elghety have embarked on a whirlwind press tour for the film, with Elghety telling Elle Egypt that her character is “very resilient.”
Elghety plays a young Egyptian girl tasked with keeping a secret her entire life.
“She’s a really strong young girl who’s seen a lot of suffering but persevered — truly a hero in her own right,” the actress told the magazine.
The new feature from the award-winning Irish writer and director was released on April 17.
The official logline reads: “The young daughter of a journalist disappears into the desert without a trace. Eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare.”
It turns out the child has spent the time in a 3,000-year-old sarcophagus and has been transformed into a living mummy-like creature.
“Don’t worry, grandma, it’s fun to be dead,” she says in one trailer.
Calamawy shared the chilling preview on Instagram earlier in April, with the caption: “Would you welcome her home?” The clip features a series of snippets, including shots of a young girl emerging from a sarcophagus.
Cronin is best known for reviving the “Evil Dead” franchise with “Evil Dead Rise,” which grossed $147 million globally in 2023.
For her part, Elghety is an actress and EU Goodwill Ambassador in Egypt. In 2023, she starred in Disney’s animated sci-fi series “Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire,” which follows futuristic stories across Africa.
Calamawy is known for her role as Layla El-Faouly in Marvel’s “Moon Knight” and as Dena Hassan in the critically acclaimed series, “Ramy.”
