john hannah is confirmed to return as Jonathan Carnahan in the upcoming The Mummy legacy sequel, reuniting with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in a direct follow-up to The Mummy Returns. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett of Radio Silence are helming the film, which is eyeing a May 19, 2028 theatrical release (ET) and is due to shoot later this year in London and Morocco. The creative push behind the reunion centers on a script by David Coggeshall that the directors have praised as “a very beautiful and sweeping and scary and fun” route back into the franchise.
John Hannah confirmed to return
Producers have tapped John Hannah to reprise his role as Evelyn’s quick-fingered brother Jonathan Carnahan, placing him alongside Brendan Fraser as one of the franchise actors returning for the new chapter. The casting choice preserves a through-line to the original films: Hannah will join Fraser in what has been described by production as a rare continuity across the franchise’s entries, while Rachel Weisz is returning after stepping away from a later installment in the series. Plot details remain tightly held by the filmmakers, with the creative team keeping the story’s specifics under wraps as the project moves toward production.
Production details and creative team
Radio Silence’s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are leading the production, working from a screenplay by David Coggeshall. Sean Daniel returns to produce alongside William Sherak, James Vanderbilt and Paul Neinstein, who are producing through Project X Entertainment; Jason F. Brown of Hivemind is attached in an executive producer role. Shooting is scheduled to take place in both London and Morocco later this year, and the film is aiming for a May 19, 2028 release date (ET). To mark the franchise’s ongoing legacy, The Mummy Returns will be rereleased in cinemas on March 27, 2026 (ET), timed with its 25th anniversary.
Immediate reactions and what’s next
On the script, directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett called screenwriter David Coggeshall’s work “a very beautiful and sweeping and scary and fun” blueprint for the new film, framing it as the creative impetus for reassembling original cast members. Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz are confirmed to be returning to their roles, and John Hannah’s participation cements a link back to the series’ earlier adventures. Production leaders say final casting and plot announcements will follow as shooting approaches, with the team withholding further story particulars until filming is underway.
Filming locations in London and Morocco position the sequel to revisit the globe-trotting, supernatural tone of the originals, while producers and the Radio Silence directors signal a blend of horror, sweep and franchise continuity. With the release currently slated for May 19, 2028 (ET) and The Mummy Returns rerelease on March 27, 2026 (ET), industry and fan attention will turn to casting updates and production dates in the coming months. Expect more confirmations as the project moves from prep into principal photography, and watch for additional announcements that will define how john hannah and the returning leads fit into this next chapter of the saga.
