Brendan Fraser's Classic Adventure Movie Is A Streaming Sensation Ahead Of 2027 Sequel

Published Sep 8, 2026, 10:13 AM EDT Nick Bythrow is a Lead Writer for ScreenRant. He has been writing for the site since September 2022. He graduated from Hampshire College in 2022, where he triple majored in Journalism, Communications, and Media Studies. When he's not writing about TV and movies for ScreenRant and his blog, Frayed Branches, Nick is penning speculative fiction and poetry on Amazon. He lives outside Boston, Massachusetts. Brendan Fraser's classic adventure movie is now a streaming sensation around the world ahead of its upcoming 2027 sequel. Fraser's best movies include a number of classic, adventure-driven movies, especially in some of the early days of his career. This includes a number of comedic roles, like George of the Jungle and Dudley Do-Right, and some more dramatic adventures, like Journey to the Center of the Earth and the animated movie Sinbad: Beyond the Veil of Mists. However, there's one adventure movie he's starred in that was successful upon release, and has seen renewed success today. This movie is The Mummy Returns, the sequel to 1999's classic adventure movie The Mummy. The second installment sees Fraser return as treasure hunter Rick O'Connell, who gathers his group of adventurer friends together following the return of Imhotep, who continues to seek immortality. According to data from September 8, 2026, The Mummy Returns is the Number 2 movie worldwide on AMC+, while also holding the Number 3 spot in the United States. The classic adventure movie is clearly still resonating with audiences, 25 years after its 2001 release. Why Brendan Fraser's The Mummy Returns Is Killing It On Streaming The success of The Mummy Returns coincides with The Mummy 4's filming start, which Fraser revealed began shooting on Monday, September 7, 2026. The Mummy 4 is a direct sequel to the second installment, ignoring the events of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor and instead shifting focus back to Ancient Egypt. This includes the return of Fraser's Rick, Rachel Weisz as Evelyn Carnahan-O'Connell, John Hannah as Jonathan Carnahan, Oded Fehr as Ardeth Bay, Kevin J. O'Connor as Beni Gabor, and Arnold Vosloo as Imhotep. The sequel arrives in theaters on October 15, 2027. But The Mummy Returns stands on its own as the second-best of Fraser's The Mummy movies. While it's somewhat a retread of the original movie, it also adds additional stakes in the form of the Scorpion King, played by Dwayne Johnson in his acting debut. The movie received mixed reviews upon release, but it still manages to capture the same classic adventure feel of the original. It helps that renewed interest in the franchise makes it all the more nostalgic, explaining why it's become such a massive streaming success. It's Not The Only Mummy Movie Enjoying Streaming Success ©Universal/courtesy Everett Collection But The Mummy Returns is just one movie based on the classic Universal character that's earning some big streaming success right now. The other is 2017's The Mummy, starring Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe. Meant to kickstart the now-defunct Dark Universe, the movie sits at Number 9 in the US on Prime Video as of September 8, 2026. Much like Fraser's rendition, it's a more action-focused, adventure-filled rendition of the character, with Sofia Boutella as the titular mummy character, Ahmanet. With The Mummy Returns on the top of streaming charts, it seems like audiences are still enamored with the movie, especially thanks to the announcement of the fourth installment. Since the movie has only been on top of AMC+ for a few days, it seems like Fraser's face will continue to be an important one for audiences on the platform in the days, and potentially weeks, ahead. Release Date May 4, 2001 Runtime 130 minutes Director Stephen Sommers Cast Rachel Weisz Evelyn O'Connell / Nefertiri