Tom Cruise’s attempt to launch a franchise that finds an audience on HBO Max has failed

“The Mummy” was supposed to be the big debut for Universal’s Dark Universe, but it actually proved to be the death knell for the entire project. However, it now appears that the film has been given a second chance in the streaming era. After its infamous failure upon its theatrical release in 2017, HBO Max subscribers have revived the Tom Cruise-led adventure ride, which has sent “The Mummy” to No. 10 on the most-watched movie charts in the United States.

It was originally intended to be a launching point for several films, including the “Bride of Frankenstein” project starring Angelina Jolie and a new film, “Invisible Man.” It was proven that the “mummy” was dead on arrival Back in 2017. Director Alex Kurtzman seemed to fall into the trap of franchise filmmaking by paying too much attention to creating future entries rather than making his own movie worth watching. Today, “The Mummy” has a low review rating of 15%. Rotten tomatoeswith reviewers making statements such as “one of the worst films of the year”, “a mess of bones, bandages and downright commercial cynicism” and “feels less like a movie than a series of compromises reached by a corporate committee”. In other words, critics truly I disliked The Mummy, and it quickly became infamous for embracing the worst impulses in franchise filmmaking — a lesson in how not to create a shared universe in the wake of Marvel’s dominance. It also only made $409 million on a budget of $195 million, which is if you knew How the box office actually worksfar from what Universal had hoped for.

Now, though, HBO Max subscribers seem intent on proving that we all missed something when The Mummy debuted and have exhumed the corpse of this long-dead bug, boosting it up the streaming charts.

In The Mummy, Tom Cruise plays US Army Sergeant Nick Morton, who ventures into the tomb of Egyptian Princess Ahmedet (Sofia Boutella) alongside his ally Chris Vale (Jake Johnson) and British archaeologist Jennifer Halsey (Annabelle Wallis). Unfortunately for the group, Ahmanet has been buried for centuries and is no longer a princess but an undead monster who has decided to have Morton become the new human vessel for Set, the god of death. Cruise’s action hero must do everything he can to stop Ahmanet’s rampage and prevent Set’s arrival. But none of that really mattered, at least not to Universal, which seemed more interested in setting up future films. honestly, The discontinued “Dark Universe” deserves better From such a disappointing debut, which makes the fact that the film is getting a small reprieve on HBO Max bittersweet.

Eight years after Universal Monster fans around the world were disappointed by The Mummy, it has been added to HBO Max. The film debuted on the platform on October 1, 2025, and that seems to be the only explanation for its appearance in the charts. According to Flex Patrola site that compiles live viewing figures, “The Mummy” hit the lists of most-watched movies in the United States on October 10, 2025, and it seems for no other reason because it’s a more recently added movie. Well, that and the fact that everyone is gearing up for Halloween. So, if it’s average, general Blockbuster films with irresponsible budgets scares you, this might be one to add to your spooky season watch list.