The Mummy reboot includes an Easter egg that might make the 1999 movie canon in the Dark Universe

The Mummy may still be licking its wounds from some vicious reviews, but that doesn’t mean it did everything wrong. Look! It’s managed to squeeze in a pretty cool Easter egg from the 1999 movie, starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz that, could have far-reaching implications for Universal's Dark Universe. Well, it couldn’t stay under wraps forever (mild spoilers to follow)…

The subtle reference comes when Tom Cruise's character, Nick, is fighting Russell Crowe's Mr Hyde. Annabelle Wallis' Jenny is having a similar fight with one of Dr Jekyll's lackeys in a library adjoining Jekyll's office. She finally takes him down by pulling a rather heavy book off a shelf and smacking him across the head with it and when she drops the book to the floor, fans can see that it's The Book of Amun-Ra, which featured in the 1999's Mummy movie. 

If you're struggling to remember exactly how important this book, also known as The Book of the Living, was to Rick and Evelyn, it was the book which eventually allowed them to defeat Imhotep. Last seen in the movie, the book was lost when the underground temple they were in collapsed, so how did Dr Jekyll get his hands on it and what does it mean?

What with the Dark Universe being a thing now, don’t be surprised to see the book make another appearance down the line. Or it could just be a neat bit of fan service, who knows? But, most importantly, a Brendan Fraser character might actually be canon in this cinematic universe filled with ghouls and ghosts. All is right in the world again. 

Image: Universal

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

Latest in Action Movies
Anthony Mackie in Captain America: Brave New World
Brave New World box office crosses milestone for Captain America movies, even though it still might not break even
Michael Bay
Michael Bay and James Cameron had a call to commiserate over the state of the movie industry: "No one can greenlight anything anymore"
Daniel Craig in No Time to Die
James Bond will reportedly remain male and British under new Amazon management, as Pierce Brosnan says it's "a given" that the next actor must not be American
Batman and Catwoman talking
Robert Pattinson is hoping to team up with his The Batman co-star Zoe Kravitz on another project soon
Keanu Reeves and Brzrkr
Justin Lin to helm Keanu Reeves' comic book movie adaptation BRZRKR for Netflix
Black Widow post-credits
Avengers Tower will have a new name in Thunderbolts, and the movie's director says it's "a symbol of things taking a darker turn"
Latest in News
Jordan A. Mun looks at herself in a mirror in just a vest in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet screenshot
5 years after starting development, Neil Druckmann says Naughty Dog's new game Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is "still evolving and changing as we're making it"
Silent Hill f
After 2 years of silence, the next mainline Silent Hill game is getting a dedicated stream this week with "the latest news"
Original Xbox console
Former Microsoft exec says the first Xbox was killed early in favor of 360 because it was "losing money left right and center," but luckily "we could afford to hemorrhage cash"
A Monster Hunter Wilds character holding binoculars.
Despite Monster Hunter Wilds suffering monstrous performance problems on PC, it still outsold the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions in the US
Jordan A. Mun looks at herself in a mirror in just a vest in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet screenshot
The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann says Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet will also be about "being lonely," as if his zombie apocalypse wasn’t isolating enough: "I really want you to be lost"
A screenshot of Jordan drinking a soda during the reveal trailer for Intergalactic: The Hertic Prophet.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is "a game about faith and religion," which Neil Druckmann jokes will surely get less hate than The Last of Us 2