Director Lee Cronin has firmly established his presence in the horror genre, first with the acclaimed "Evil Dead Rise" and now at the helm of "Lee Cronin's The Mummy." During a discussion with Collider's Perri Nemiroff, Cronin confirmed that both films not only incorporate his distinct lore but also exist within a shared cinematic universe, a detail underscored by a hidden Easter egg connecting the two.

"Lee Cronin's The Mummy" plunges audiences into a waking nightmare following the inexplicable return of Katie (Natalie Grace), a journalist's young daughter who was kidnapped and vanished into the desert nearly a decade prior. Her miraculous reunion with her family quickly devolves into a terrifying ordeal as it becomes clear something is profoundly wrong with her. The film also stars Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Shylo Molina, and Billie Roy, with Natalie Grace's eerie performance being a standout.

The film's distinctive title, "Lee Cronin's The Mummy," was a deliberate choice aimed at signifying a crucial "point of difference" for the project. Cronin, in discussions with producers Jason Blum and James Wan, felt confident in attaching his name to this new vision, emphasizing that the movie itself was paramount, regardless of its moniker. This bold titling also played into the film's effective marketing strategy, notably a playful campaign highlighting that "Brendan Fraser isn't in 'Lee Cronin's The Mummy'." This tactic, Cronin explained, was a humorous response to audience assumptions about the 'mummy movie' subgenre, which often evoke the popular Stephen Sommers films starring Fraser, but also acknowledges the long history of the character from Hammer Horror to contemporary interpretations.

Cronin's unique vision for "The Mummy" originated from two pivotal ideas. The first was to explore mummification for a different purpose, moving beyond the traditional pharaohs and royalty to consider "mummification for the ordinary person." This concept, he felt, offered a compelling avenue to explore. The second, and perhaps the "break-story moment" for the horror film maker, was to combine this lore with the profound tragedy of a family whose child had been kidnapped. The horror intensifies when this child is returned, transforming what should be a joyous occasion into a terrifying mystery. Cronin intentionally set the film in a contemporary but timeless setting, using details like a "Babe" poster in a hand-me-down bedroom to evoke a sense of universal experience rather than a specific era.

Comparing the technical challenges of his two recent horror features, Cronin recalled the "blood elevator" in "Evil Dead Rise" as particularly demanding. The sheer volume of blood required and budgetary constraints forced him to ingeniously adapt the set to create the illusion of a full elevator using less liquid. In "Lee Cronin's The Mummy," a smaller but equally complex effect proved most challenging: the "toenail ripping" scene. Cronin stressed the importance of achieving a precise "tearing of flesh under tension," rather than a simple rip, which necessitated extensive research and development to perfect after several initial misfires.

The eagerly anticipated connection between "The Mummy" and "Evil Dead Rise" lies in a subtle detail: the name of the archeology professor in "The Mummy." Cronin revealed that this character could be a distant relative of key figures in the "Evil Dead Rise" universe, offering a tantalizing Easter egg for observant fans to discover. Regarding Natalie Grace's performance as the possessed Katie, Cronin explained his unique directive. He encouraged her to portray the demonic force as if it had endured a "longest economy flight imaginable," meaning it wouldn't immediately burst forth with full power. Instead, Grace was tasked with illustrating the entity's gradual journey of stretching its legs, re-reading the world, gaining confidence, and playfully asserting its presence, while also showcasing Katie's underlying fortitude in resisting the evil.

"Lee Cronin's The Mummy" is currently in theaters, inviting audiences to uncover its gruesome details and the intriguing threads connecting it to the broader horror universe Cronin is building.