Rachel Weisz opted out of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor claiming that she felt uncomfortable being away from her son for five months to shoot in China. Mummy fans were terribly upset (myself included) because she is such a part of the franchise. I almost couldn’t understand the decision. I mean what?! I can’t even imagine the money they offered her. But she still said no. Maria Bello stepped in and the production continued without a second thought.Well, recently Rob Cohen let slip the real reason why Rachel didn’t want in on the third installment of the movie that brought her fame and fortune. The director wanted her to play the mother of a much older child and Rachel wasn’t having it.
“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.’”
Which makes more sense? Being away from her son? Or not liking playing a character with a 21 year old son?
UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A Rachel fan BROKE IT DOWN to me in an email that is way too long for me to post here. So I am going to add it to the comments. What research! Check out why she says Rob is just bitter and making up stories to help promote the film. WOW! Give me one second to upload.WENN
Unlike some others, I did enjoy both Mummy movies. I know writers and directors are probably not prone to listening to actors input, but if Rachel was reluctant to do a third movie because of the script then maybe someone should have paid attention. Either way, they have lost my patronage.
Terribly disappointed about Rachel. Probably won’t bother to see it.
watched the movie, the script and everything else was kind of lame in a way…its the third time a mummy was brought back to life, what else can they come up with aside from what already happened in the first and second film? 1. it WOULD have been better if rachel played the role 2. it was probably best if she didnt and 3. although these kind of films dont get you oscars, they do really give entertainment to people (first time around)
I have a habit of not reading any internet spoilers or anything on a film, especially one that i ADORE, so when i sat down and that new woman was there i was like… ugh! I was excited and fully expecting to see Rachel, lol. I was muttering annoyed at the screen along with all my other movie patrons.. Needless to say that woman just did NOT pull it off. Brendan seemed lackluster when he looked at her.. you didnt believe they were in love at all. Not in the slightest.
I dont know about the rest of you, but i put that woman to the test by trying to get her to say “Beat that Cambridge Scholars!” In my head. — She failed.. miserably.
I’ll agree that the movie wasnt the greatest. It was a doover of something they’d already done, and they kinda made fun of that with the use of Jonathan — So if she jumped ship because the script was lacking, i wont hold a grudge, but.. on the same token… I’ll say this.
I MISSED HER! Actively throughout the whole film i was wincing slightly and was distracted by the new Evelyn. She took away from scenes that may have very well been charming with Rachel, but with her it was like she was trying to step in where there was too much prior chemistry and past and play it off for her own. Bah i dont know.. i’ll stop ranting now and end with a Booooo Cohen, booooo!!
)
I saw this piece of s+++ the other day, and frankly, I can’t blame Rachel for passing on that “script.” If you put together the two earlier reasons, one, not liking the script, and two, that she didn’t want to play the mother of a twenty one year old, the real reason is clear:
Given the time frame of the earlier films, having a grown son that looked more like Brendan’s kid brother than his son was just not believable.
This really jumped off the screen at me as a cheap plot device to introduce another grown hero. Lame. Really, really lame.
Sorry Amy but my post alone proves you’re wrong.
I cant stand you f’n idiots who have nothing to add to a conversation besides ‘your wrong!’. Does this actually make you feel better? Feel superior in someway to let someone know their wrong.
People like you just need a swift kick in the nuts.
To play a mother of a 21 yr old she could be 40 or less. How old is this woman anyway? That reason doesnt make sense to me. As for the kid, thats a cop out too. So many people bring their kids along or they do have these things called planes that can actually fly across the ocean, maybe shes heard of them ? She could come home once a month or more. Lots of business people travel often so its not unheard of, even for long distances. If it was because of a bad script then kudos for her to not just give in and create a P.O.S. movie.
I loved The Mummy and was excited about the The Mummy Returns. However, the sequel was a STINKER!! It was awful and if I were Rachel, I’d have dropped out after that dud as well. I’d have been more shocked if she had agreed to be in this one.
the mummy is way beneath her as an actress. she did it a while ago, before she started getting really good, decent roles that let her really act. she was nominated for the constant gardener best supporting actress oscar, wasnt she? shes lucky it hasnt stalled her career like it did brendan’s. he hasnt managed to get himself any real acting job since these bombs. she knows this role is beneath her and she is getting good advice from her agent/manager to stay away from these lame films.
In her new yet-to-be-released movie “The lovely Bones” she is playing the mother of two teenage daughers, one who is murdered, the other who grows into her twenties in the film….So…Yeah, she would play the mother of a 21 year old…..
my mom was born in 1971 and i’ll turn 21 at the end of this month.
so there’s my 2 cents.
There’s no drama here. She chose not to do a sequel. Whatever her reasons.
the storyline does not support a 16 year old having a child. That where the script does not make sense. Rachel would have to be at least 10 years older than she is for it to fall into place.
All i can say is boo to Cohen, has a stick up his ass, just because an actress doesn’t like his script has to bad mouth her, thank god for people like Fred setting the record straight.
Good for Rachel for not acting for this 3rd movie, she’s a wonderful actress and will continue to watch her in other films.
I loved the Mummy and I loved the Mummy Returns even more. Rachel was such a pivotal character in the films though….. it’s just not the same without her. Mummy 3 was just not the same. I was disappointed. The first two had such a fun cast and the third just didn’t come through… Also, I do think Mummy 3 was way below Rachel as at actress at this point. Maybe if Stephen Sommers was still the writer and the script was still goofy and witty it would’ve worked…..
I just finished watching this movie and was very disappointed! For starters, the casino took away the main focus of what the movie is all about. I had no idea Rachael wouldn’t be playing the role until tonight … I came on here to find out why and quiet frankly can’t say that I blame her! This movie royally SUCKED in my opinion!!
Just bought the DVD. The action flick was full of great effects and was entertaining. But the story-line of the son was a stretch. Rick doesn’t look old enough to have a son who is 20 something. Too bad they didn’t make the character a love sick-adolescent or something. The chemistry between Frasier and Weisz was missed, too. This Evvy was a bit too coordinated and not bumbling enough. That was the charm of her character and made her the perfect complement of the physically adept Rick character versus the book worm who still knows the languages and codes.
It is also sad that an actress begins to think too much of her career and less of the fans who built that career. She owed it to her fan base to come back again one more time to reprise the role that launched her. She’s gotten too big for her britches.
Just finished watching the movie too… I missed Rachel but don’t blame her… At least they could have made her character (Evelyn) died of something (illness or accident, for example) rather than “injecting” a totally strange woman and force us to think that is the same one. I have nothing against Maria Bello but why couldn’t they make her a step-mother for Alex
I feel like a close friend of that family who has been away for a while and now come back to see Rick is cheating on his wife and his son…
your thought is just what I felt….I really thought the yetis were cute though!
this is funny. they couldn’t find a 21 year old to play Alex. Luke Ford was born March 26, 1981 making him 11 years younger than his mother, Rachel Weisz (March 7,1970), and 13 years his father, Brendan Fraser(December 3, 1968)
I totally agree.
Well I’m glad Rachel didn’t do this movie because it was ridiculous… First this movie shouldn’t have even been thought of it killed it for the first two movies… I like Maria Bello but lets face it she’s no Evelyn and her “Brittish” accent is horrible!!! Everything about this movie was HORRIBLE!!!
i love the mummy
but i wanted Rachel Weisz to be in this movie
coz it was boring without her
Give me a break. So you think she got too big for her britches because she did not want to do this terrible film? Please, you don’t even have a clue.
Good for her i say, the movie was crap.
This movie was horrible. bad special effects, awful script and bad direction.
No wonder Rachel did not do it
felt the same…
can’t the director make maria bello another new character?!
aye actually when I was watching the movie I told myself – that “evie” is another person.
despite killing evie the movie was just horrible after all so I’d just treat the 3rd as another movie, not of the mummy series.
I was highly disappointed that Rachael wasn’t in the 3rd movie…but…after watching it….I could see why. I can’t blame her…they should have come up with a much better script. Nothing against to actress that they put in…but….ummm I didn’t like her….it wasn’t the same. the interplay was phoney as hell between the two of them. Just not the same magic with the characters or the script. Hint of another one at the end….hopefully if they do another one they can clean it up and come up with something much better and entice her back and we can see that same magic…..
I know, opinions are like —holes, everyone has one. But I thought the Dragon Emperor was pretty good although I did miss Rachel. What ever her reasons for not returning were cleaely good enough for her.
that movie sucked…..
i missed the original mummy..but i realize they could never bring him back…. and i missed Rachel….im just saying they shouldn’t have made the movie unless they had Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, and Arnold Vosloo as the mummy….with out those three characters TOGETHER it simply isn’t the same series…..they should have stopped at the second one….
I never knew all of this. I’m glad though. The movie…. sucked. It could have really hurt her. I like to think that she has such love for the character that she refused to portray such a crappy version of her.
I liked the fact that Jet Li is in this film. It also had some amazing special effects. But like everyone or almost everyone has said here, Maria Bello just didn’t make the cut for Evy compared with Rachel Weisz. I didn’t see no chemistry between Maria and Brendan like I did with Rachel and Brendan in the first two films. I know it was a long way to make the film but I dont know…… It just dont think it was that romantic as The Mummy 2.
Ooooh so that’s why Racheal Weisz wasn’t in the mummy 3 tbh the movie wasn’t really good with out Racheal and since mummy number one came out I still watch it every day and I love it I also love number 2 as well
It sucked that she didn’t do the role of evey but she had a good strong reason I think moms should understand this at least a little. But it is a downer she fit the role so well and Rachel and… O’connel I forget his name had great onset chemestry I think if she’s willing when her son gets older they should ask he to be in the next movie again as evey. And even thi I don’t think the new eve fits the part as well im still watching the movie but won’t enjoy it as much.
OMG i cant believe that rachel left it isnt the same without her >:( im sooo upset the film is good but rachel would have made it even better it was as if there was no spark between the 2 of them this time unlike the way brendan looked at rachel i can honestly say that it isnt my favourite mummy film 1 and 2 were my favourite mummy films
I loved the first two Mummys and was very disappointed Rachel Weisz wasn’t playing Evy again. Didn’t go to the theater to see it, felt like I would be disloyal to Rachel.
It was shown for the first time on cable a month or two ago. I thought maybe I could force myself to watch it. Could only stomach it for about 45- minutes. The script was bad, acting was way-off, especially Maria Bello. I’ve seen her on TV shows, like ER, but sorry she just is not Evy. There was absolutely NO chemistry between her and Brendan Frasier. The sets in those 45-minutes were pretty fake looking and Evy’s driving scene was horrible acting and timing. There was no more magic left in this series. Bring back Rachel, Arnold, (I don’t remember his real name, but missed Ardeth Bay too) and the original writers, producers, OR let the series die a natural death so we can mourn it’s passing properly!
Wow, some of you anons are idiots. She was born in London, so those of you bashing her accent are just morons. Really, brilliant, people.
this movie sucks without rachel!!!
i miss her…
http://www.myporncave.com
The third movie was just as successful as the previous two. Mummy 3 grossed over $400 mil. worldwide (source: http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=mummy3.htm). Just goes to show you that, with movies devoid of any substance (like these Mummy movies), you can pretty much plug anyone into any of those roles without missing a beat.
eu achei muito chato que Rachel Weisz nao fiz o filme ‘A Mumia 3′
eu acho que em a mumia 4 quando lançar ela podia fazer como se eles morrecem e nascessem de novo como aconteceu em o retorno da mumia por que eu quero muito que ela faz outro filme em o retorno da mumia eu amo muito ela.
That shines a light on the way men in Hollywood and elsewhere think.
Rachel was born in 1971, so she must have started out very young, like Jamie Lynn young. Only men can come up with such idiotic concepts.
Rob Cohen is lying though his teeth and i can prove it because he himself said in his blog that he never met or talked to Rachel and that she left the series after the Mummy returns. So why would Rachel’s agent call him about the sons age in the film if she was not apart of the film in the first place?
Here is the link that contradicts his comments in Entertainment Weekly:
http://www.robcohenthemummy.com/2007/09/up_and_running.php#comments
“A few of you have inquired about Rachel Weisz and this deserves a response. Rachel decided to leave the franchise many years ago, after “The Mummy 2″ finished shooting. We all had hopes that she would change her mind but I never had the opportunity to meet her or talk to her.”
What you are hearing is sour grapes from a director who is trying to get publicity for his film by bashing an actress who left the production because she did not like the script, a script that has been bash in certain circles by those who have read it.
This link not only reviews the script but has an insider in the production of Mummy 3 that explains why Rachel left the film.
“http://iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2327&Itemid=99″
“Kudos to Rachel Weisz for jumping ship on this ancient turd in the making, really well done. So while the official word has been that her schedule would not allow her to return to the third film, sources close to actress have said that the script was the real reason why she did not come back”
And here are more sources that confirmed Rachel leaving because of the script
From Eonline: http://www.eonline.com/gossip/awful/index.jsp?uuid=be7b5f63-7f05-4c2c-a613-15e4ce46ea79&page=2
Mum’s the Word?
Remember those fun Mummy movies with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz? The first installment was happening, the second one not so much, but both made some pretty big bank. Enough so that Universal was hopin’ to squeeze a third flick out of the franchise.
“Course, there’s been talk of this Egyptian redo stuff for some time. First, it was reported early last year that both Brendan and Rach wouldn’t reprise their roles. Then there were mouthings in September that B.F. had signed back on. And now I’m hearing there are more back-’n'-forth machinations regarding the mummified redo attempts.
Rachel Weisz
According to inside busybody beetles on the project, both stars are on the verge of walking off from discussions…but for different reasons. The Oscar-winning Rach is reportedly less than thrilled with the script.
“It’s basically a very bad repeat of the first two films but without the charm or wit,” say loose-lipped insiders unafraid of big-studio voodoo curses for blabbers.
And I’m told Brendan – “on the other cash-siphoning hand – “wants a bigger paycheck and more back-end profits than Universal is willing to offer.
And here are more that confirmed that story:
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Rachel-Weisz-Leaves-Mummy-3-4912.html
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/The-Mummy-3-May-Be-In-Trouble-4419.html
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seriously,isn’t being away from your child for 5 months isn’t a good enough reason?! As a mother you should understand that!
5 months is a looong time
I’m not sure if I can stand leaving my children for 5 months…that’s almost half a year.
Good one Fred!!! We always want to believe the worst don’t we? Plus I don’t think she would care about playing a 21 year olds mom. Angelina did it and was still sexy – and Charlize Theron certainly pushes the envelope of playing ‘out of character’ characters and she is still hot stuff too. That guy is a jerk.
oh wait — Fred posted it already. read above
THANKS!
please do a fashion find I love the shift dress with that red belt
She could have brought her kid and a nanny with her. Thats what most actresses of small children do. In the movie business thats the nature of the beast. So given that, I am leaning more toward the hissy fit reason. She doesn’t want to be portrayed as an old mother. In this business you have to appear young whether you are or not. Maybe she thought she it would be career ending.
I figured there was an article about this, somewhere. Finally saw Tomb of the Dragon Emperor and like others was initially disappointed that Rachel Weisz was not in it. After seeing the movie I can understand why she might not want to be associated with it. Good move Rachel.
3rd Mummy SUCKED SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The movie doesn’t work without Rachel, Brendan has absolutly no chemistry and I obvisoly know that this woman isn’t british, she’s faking like 3 different accents. Honestly this brought down the whole Mummy movies for me. I love the first two but this was a real letdown. The script was SHIT, oh good god and the acting itself was horrible. Luv Brendan Fraiser and Jonathan (Sorry I don’t know his real name) but sadley the script was really bad- so they then looked bad. Also, I didn’t like the storyline- Mummies are from Eqypt not China!!!!! I missed the original outline of the movie.
Yeah.. I went to the movies totally especting to see Rachel… SO what happened was that I couldnt even pay atention to the movie because I was so ANNOYED that Evy was NOT Evy.
But come on…Mummy 3 on China??? I couldnt they out ALEX in high scool wrote a better script ( coz this one sucked huge time) and have Rachel back. Or just killed her..or whatever…
A okay Im just still annoyed with the movie.
I loved the first two Mummy movies. Jonathon(sorry, don’t know his name) Brendan, Rachel, and Arnold just complete the movies, without them, it’s like a whole other series. I was very upset when i saw that Mario Bello had replaced Rachel, although i think the movie was still pretty good. Hopefully they will make another movie(this time in Peru) and Rachel will come back and show us the magic that her and Brendan had in the first two. i really hope they create another movie with older alex AND Rachel in it!!
Okay… I love the Mummy 1 and The Mummy Returns, and I’ll try to forget that there ever was a third movie, it was just so FAR from the other two, so when I treated it like another movie it wasn’t half bad. I missed Rachel, no offense to Maria Bello, but she and Brendan didn’t have the same chemistry, and it seemed like she was trying to hard. Alex’ character better fits a teenager than a young adult, really. What happened to the delightfully passionate and spirited child in the Mummy Returns? This new portrayal of Alex is a bit wishy washy to me.
I was so disappointed when I watched a couple minutes of the movie and found out Rachel isn’t Evy anymore. I didn’t want to watch it now that she’s not there. I mean, a lot of fans (including me) were disappointed. So Rachel did not want to be apart from his son. Why didn’t the director understand that or maybe he’d just let Rachel bring his son and nanny to where they were filming. Weisz is definitely the ONLY fit actress to portray this role. I mean I dont mind them switching places from Egypt to China now going to Peru.. All I want is Rachel back. And now they’re planning to make a 4th movie and also without Rachel… And news say the 5th and 6th would also be without Rachel! Her son is probably walking by now and she could bring her if she wants but CANT THEY JUST BRING HER BACK TO THE MOVIE??? I mean, on the second movie, it says she’s a reincarnated egyptian princess and Maria Bello does not look like one. All I’m saying is that Evelyn Carnahan O’Conell is Rachel Weisz and Maria Bello is SOOOOO NOT like Rachel Weisz….
P.S.
Im not expressing any anger on Maria Bello and on the Mummy 3′s Casting and Crews and Productions Staff and whoever else… Im expressing disappointment for Rachel Weisz did not reprise her role..
I would just like to say, Rachel Weisz was an amazing role for Evelyn in The Mummy. In my opinion, the person who had taken her place in the third movie, was far from the person Rachel made her out to be. I was actually sad to see a different person in her spot. I believe it threw off her whole perspective. The third movie was okay, but no matter what i will still favor the first and second movie better.
Sincerely,
Evelyn.