The Mummy filmed from UK base
Universal’s reboot of monster movie The Mummy stars Tom Cruise and filmed much of its stage work at Shepperton Studios.
Alex Kurtzman directs a story that follows Cruise’s soldier of fortune as he accidentally awakens ancient Egyptian princess Ahmanet from her desert burial place.
Shepperton’s expansive facilities were used for many of the film’s set builds, with stage constructions including ancient Egyptian tomb interiors and historical catacombs.
There was also a plush office set belonging to key character Dr Henry Jekyll, introduced partly to set up an expanded universe of rebooted monster characters from Universal’s archive.
“The sets are magnificent,” says Cruise of his experience filming at Shepperton. “They are beautiful and haunting, and the kind of work, skill and craftsmanship that has been put into every aspect of the film is inspiring.
“I didn’t want it to feel like a cartoon; every choice needed to be meticulous to make it feel real.”
Location filming took place in Oxford and at multiple sites in central London, including beneath Charing Cross station, at the Natural History Museum and in the English capital’s Square Mile financial district.
“It was fascinating to shoot in the financial district on a Sunday when it was largely deserted,” says producer Sean Daniel.
“On a weekday there are 350,000 people who come here to work. It’s also the sign of the original Roman colony of Londinium. Under us were so many dead Romans, crusaders and everyone else who ever fought over this territory. In the movie, they come to life in the final battle.”
Aerial shots of scenes on Waterloo Bridge were filmed for a couple of hours one summer Sunday with assistance from Lambeth Council, which is managed by FilmFixer.
London continues to be one of the top international filming locations for big-budget Hollywood features. The city recently hosted superhero movies Wonder Woman and the upcoming Justice League from Warner Bros. and DC, while Marvel’s Doctor Strange was based at Longcross.
Images: Universal Pictures
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