Brendan Fraser's 1999 adventure film "The Mummy" is set to leave HBO Max in the US, with the title being cited as a favourite of the late critic Roger Ebert, who said he was "unreasonably pleased" by it. The news comes amid renewed public interest in the franchise, following Warner Bros. and Universal's efforts to distinguish their unrelated 2026 horror reboot, "Lee Cronin's The Mummy," from the beloved original series starring Fraser and Rachel Weisz.

Directed by Stephen Sommers, the original "The Mummy" grossed more than $420 million worldwide against an $80 million budget and spawned two sequels, "The Mummy Returns" ($435 million) and "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" ($405 million). By contrast, this year's standalone reboot underperformed, taking $90 million against a $22 million budget and receiving mixed reviews. Universal has separately confirmed Fraser and Weisz will reunite for a fourth instalment in their original franchise, following Fraser's Oscar-winning comeback in "The Whale."