Lee Cronin’s new take on “The Mummy” leans into an Arab story shaped by May Calamawy and May Elghety, set largely in Egypt and delivered with significant Arabic dialogue—framing grief and possession through a perspective Cronin says was built into the film’s D
When Lee Cronin’s version of “The Mummy” drops, it arrives with the kind of momentum horror fans recognize instantly. The anticipation isn’t subtle. either—Cronin’s name now carries the expectation that genre rules will bend. not just be followed. The film begins by doing something that feels like a deliberate choice rather than a cosmetic one: it builds much of its story in Egypt. and it lets Arabic dialogue take center stage.
Half the movie unfolds in Egypt, described as sun-drenched and rooted in something more intimate than cliché. Whole stretches are delivered in Arabic, and those moments are unapologetically subtitled. At the heart of that shift are two Arab women who. in the film’s presentation. don’t simply inhabit the frame—they help command it. May Calamawy and May Elghety are central to the experience, with the story tracking grieving couple Charlie and Larissa Cannon.
In the film, Charlie and Larissa Cannon are living in Egypt when their daughter, Katie, mysteriously vanishes. Eight years later, she returns out of nowhere. Relief, the film makes clear, is temporary: what comes back is not entirely their daughter. She is possessed by the spirit of an ancient demon, tied to a long-buried Egyptian ritual. From there. the movie unfolds as part possession thriller. part psychological horror. pushing the family into a deadly race against time to stop the evil from spreading.
May Elghety. who plays Layla Khalil. describes the role as childhood best friend to Katie—instrumental in both Katie’s disappearance and the eventual reveal of the truth. Layla. she says. is “incredibly resilient and brave.” Elghety also points to how Cronin has described the character as “heroic. ” adding that she agrees.
Cronin’s own view of casting goes beyond putting Arab actors on screen. In his telling, Calamawy and Elghety were foundational—woven into what the film is trying to be. In a genre that has historically treated the Arab world as aesthetic rather than lived experience. Cronin is described as insisting they weren’t simply cast into the story but embedded into its DNA.
“It was of absolute importance to me,” Cronin said about authenticity and regional perspective. He explained he likes to create movies with grounded and believable characters, and he said it was vital that the characters from Egypt be represented faithfully and with huge respect.
Cronin also frames Egypt as more than a backdrop. In his words, Egypt is the film’s emotional and symbolic heartbeat. He ties his fascination to hidden worlds and secrets, saying his interest stretches back to childhood. “Nothing embodies that type of mysterious past more than Ancient Egypt. ” he said. adding that in the movie Egypt symbolizes deep history and the way history from many millennia back can still affect the present. “The past is always relevant.”.
The film’s setup—an ancient demon unearthed through a buried ritual—serves as a bridge into a bigger theme Cronin and the performances emphasize: the sense that what’s buried doesn’t stay buried. The story is described as moving beyond monster-horror toward an exploration of grief. guilt. and the lengths people go to for those they love. even when something inside them has fundamentally changed.
For Cronin, the Arab world’s portrayal isn’t treated as a puzzle to solve for viewers. He is described as resisting the temptation to “explain” Egypt and instead leaning into scale and an enduring sense of the undiscovered. When discussing inspiration. he says he is less interested in recycling familiar mythology than in absence itself—“everything still buried beneath the sand. unrecorded and unknowable.” “The real draw for me. ” he said. “was the idea of what is unknown… as much history has been uncovered in Egypt. there is still so much that remains secret. buried and unknown.”.
That philosophy extends to how the film aims to distinguish itself from earlier “Mummy” presentations. The approach. as Cronin describes it. focused on truth and authenticity at all times. including decisions about character behavior. visual language. and the atmosphere of the world. He says the movie was always about making a point of difference in how Mummy movies have been presented before.
Even one specific visual detail is described as part of that recalibration: the Sarcophagus. The film’s Sarcophagus. as the story of production choices is told. is said to have more in common with the obelisk from “2001: A Space Odyssey” than with a traditional Sarcophagus expected in a Hollywood Mummy telling.
Cronin also describes his intention for regional audiences in a way that tracks with the film’s emphasis on respect rather than extraction. “I truly hope that local audiences will enjoy this very different story. ” he said. and he expressed the hope that viewers will appreciate efforts to capture truth and to bring wonderful talent from the region to the fore on a global stage.
For Elghety, that intent shows up in the making of the film itself. She describes Cronin as having a clear, confident vision, but also as collaborative. She says he creates atmosphere through tension and detail rather than just shock. and she credits his process for giving her space to work as an actor. She adds that he listens. gives actors room to explore. and makes them feel included in every part of the process—from tone to language and even music. She calls the environment generous. says she’d work with him again “in a heartbeat. ” and adds that he’s “incredibly fun.”.
Calamawy’s presence is treated similarly in the film’s description: as part of what keeps Egypt and Arabic dialogue from feeling like additions. The result. as the report frames it. is a blockbuster that doesn’t treat Arab representation as an anomaly inside mainstream horror. In that retelling. “The Mummy” becomes less about rebooting familiar thrills and more about shifting who gets to sit at the center—through mood and tension. through performances anchored by May Calamawy and May Elghety. and through a setting and language handled as core to the story rather than decorative.
This account first appeared on GRAZIA Middle East.
Lee Cronin The Mummy May Calamawy May Elghety Egypt setting Arab representation Arabic dialogue horror film