Since late 2006 the entire situation surrounding the Mummy Franchise has been vague and contradictory. Here we will lay all the confusion to rest. After intense research and study, collecting articles, interviews and reviews going as far back as 2007 we've managed to get the clearest order of events and why the Mummy 3 turned out so poorly.

  1. According to Rob Cohen "Rachel decided to leave the franchise many years ago, after "The Mummy 2" finished shooting." This statement was made directly by Cohen on his official Mummy 3 Blog.

The only problem is that just a few months before he wrote that, Rachel openly stated to Empire Magazine "Well I hear rumblings that Stephen Sommers is writing one. But I don't know if it's rumor or true. But would I want to do it? Yeah, why not! Get the family back together again. Go on some adventures."

2. Making matters worse for Cohen Brendan Fraser stated openly during a press conference the week before the film that he was reluctant to return to the franchise when he heard that Rachel would not be returning as well. "I felt Rachel's absence when I read the screenplay for the first time. We were partners, friends, colleagues, and I couldn't read the screenplay and not think about hearing her say it this way, or that way. We had the chemistry." Brendan went further to state "When I heard that she decided to step aside I would feel her absence no matter who stepped into the role." Which makes Cohen's statement that Rachel left in 2001 even more strange. If she actually had left the franchise so long ago, Brendan wouldn't have been surprised.

3. Rob Cohen makes another goof. On his Sept. 4th 2007 he states "I never had the opportunity to meet her or talk to her (Rachel)." Nearly all of his statements regarding Rachel all suggest he had no contact with her whatsoever. Then he states in May of 2008 "I got a very angry phone from her agent, saying she'll never play the mother of a 21-year-old. I said, 'OK, good, fine, bye.'" What doesn't add up is by May of 2008 the film would have been wrapped and in post production. Very fishy Mr. Cohen, very fishy.

4. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor has bombed in the United States. By the end of August it looks to barely reach $100Million domestic. What amuses us is that Universal stretches the truth to the farthest extent by claiming the film is "NUMBER 1 IN THE WORLD!" Yet as each week passes the films numbers drop rapidly and it's percentages fall daily.

5. Stephen Sommers stated that he had an idea for a third Mummy film, however he wasn't sure Universal would go for it because he believed for a third film everything had to be bigger and better. He just didn't think Universal would green light it with the budget he had in mind.

  Through out this entire fiasco the fans and public alike have had to balance the truth and the lies surrounding "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor."  Before the film even began production critics and bloggers were viciously attacking As far back as 2007 it's now obvious that director Rob Cohen has made multiple comments contradicting himself.  Everyone asks why Universal allowed Rob Cohen, (the director of 2005's 'Stealth') one of Hollywood's most under-developed, questionable directors to take on The Mummy Franchise. Stephen Sommers, the writer and director of the first two Mummy films was brought on merely as an advisor to the new film since his work as writer and director proved to be invaluable to the production of the first two films.