Who could forget that iconic library scene in the film? Today, we’re going to uncover some of its secrets for you. That tragically hilarious bookshelf disaster was achieved in one take. No mistakes and no second attempts needed. Want to know why (and how)? There really wasn’t any choice because everything genuinely did fall, and it would have been a nightmare putting it back together between failed takes.
The crew would have taken a full day at least to reset for the next take, not to mention dealing with irreparable damages. So, rather than risk such time wasting, the crew pulled together and employed the old adage “measure twice, cut once” to the maximum. Everything was so carefully prepared, and everyone played their parts to such a level of perfection, that the chaotic scene went down precisely to plan and every brilliant moment of it was captured. We imagine a lot of high-fiving went down immediately after Sommers yelled “cut!”
PG-13 Rating
The directors had an imperative to keep the action within the bounds of the film’s desired rating. They always had to bear in mind the age range of their projected audience. But you’d be surprised at the simple mishaps that can jeopardize a rating. Remember that scene when the ship was being attacked? Rachel Weisz faced an unavoidable wardrobe issue when she got soaked during the melee.
We all know what happens when clothes get wet. Weisz’s nightgown got sheer and clingy and decidedly outside the bounds of PG-13. The crew had to digitally alter the scene during post production to hide what needed to be hidden. In its original state, the footage was too real for a kid-friendly rating.
English Voice-Over
In the opening sequence, Imhotep’s lines are a voice over. Why you ask? Director Stephen Sommers realized something was off while they were taping that scene. Imhotep would not know how to speak English and it wouldn’t make sense for those lines to be in English.
Guess whose voice they enlisted to solve the problem? It was the Medjai chieftain who dedicated his life to stopping Imhotep’s reincarnation, Ardeth Bay. This role was played by handsome Israeli actor, Oded Fehr. Any fangirls in the house?
Ardeth Bay’s Tattoos
Almost all of Oded Fehr’s roles have been in internationally popular films and TV series. He’s appeared in Resident Evil, Charmed, and of course The Mummy. Fehr’s character in The Mummy, Ardeth Bay, is a Medjai chieftain who devoted his life to protect the rest of the world from Imhotep.
Originally, the Medjai had to wear tattoos from head to toe. However the director decided not to stain Fehr’s face with ink, because Oded Fehr was too handsome. Why deny audiences the chance to properly check him out?
The Mummy Theme Park
The Mummy fever didn’t just spread through theaters, but also to theme parks. Universal Studios opened a theme park ride designed on The Mummy films. The ride was built in 2004 and was called Revenge of the Mummy. One each was installed in Florida and California.
After their launch, the lines were unbelievably long, with eager thrill-seekers literally bathed in sweat as they inched closer to the entrance. The theme park ride seemed to hypnotize whoever went in there. Just like in the film, fans would chant loudly “Im-ho-tep-Im-ho-tep-Im-ho-tep.”