The next chapter of The Mummy franchise is officially taking shape, and the filmmakers behind it say the upcoming sequel will capture the spirit that made the original films so beloved.

Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz are set to return as Rick and Evelyn O’Connell in the still-untitled fourth installment of the long-running adventure-horror series. The project will be directed by filmmaking duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, better known collectively as Radio Silence (Ready or Not, Scream, Abigail).

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, the directors described the film as both epic and faithful to the heart of the franchise.

“It’s just really, really beautiful and scary and sweeping, and it’s awesome,” Gillett said of the script, which was written by David Coggeshall (Orphan: First Kill).

Bettinelli-Olpin echoed the sentiment, adding that the screenplay captured everything fans hope to see from a Mummy movie.

“It had all of the heart and the character that you could hope for,” he explained. “I don’t think Brendan and Rachel are getting involved unless they love that script, and what they read, I think they really liked. It’s a good script. It’s going to be fun to make.”

For the directing duo, stepping into the franchise is both exciting and intimidating.

“It’s not lost on us that we are inheriting another truly wonderful franchise,” Gillett said. “We’re just so humbled and grateful to continue the story.”

According to the filmmakers, the project came together thanks to producer William Sherak, who first floated the idea while they were working together on Abigail.

“William’s always way ahead of us,” Gillett recalled. “Matt and I are focused on finishing the day’s work, and William is already thinking about the next project. He told us, ‘I think I’m going to get us Mummy.’”

“At first we thought there was no way,” he continued. “But by the time we were wrapping Abigail, we were meeting with writer Dave Coggeshall and putting together a pitch.”

The original The Mummy was released in 1999 and became a massive box office hit, earning over $422 million worldwide. The film spawned two sequels: The Mummy Returns in 2001 and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor in 2008.

Rachel Weisz did not appear in the third film, where Maria Bello replaced her as Evelyn. When asked whether that installment would still be considered canon, Bettinelli-Olpin gave a telling response.

“Well, Rachel is in this one,” he said.

“That should answer the question,” Gillett added.

The new Mummy sequel is currently scheduled to hit theaters May 19, 2028 via Universal Pictures.

Before that, Radio Silence will return to theaters with Ready or Not 2: Here I Come on March 20, while The Mummy Returns will head back to theaters on March 27 to celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary.