Unwrapping the Mummy
> Sofia Boutella brings to life the latest incarnation of classic horror icon, the villainous Egyptian princess Ahmanet
ONE OF cinema’s most iconic monsters is roaring back to life on the big screens here nationwide on June 8. Tom Cruise stars as military man and artifact hunter Nick Morton, who discovers something much more dangerous than he’s ever dreamed when he locates the tomb – or rather, the prison – of an ancient Egyptian princess.
He soon unleashes a terrifying force upon the world – one driven by revenge and bitter fury in The Mummy, which stars Sophia Boutella in the title role.
Joining the cast are Annabelle Wallis as explorer Jenny Halsey, and Russell Crowe as Dr Henry Jekyll, with Alex Kurtzman directing.
Boutella, who started her career as a model and dancer, broke out as the lethal Gazelle in Kingsman: The Secret Service.
More recently, she portrayed Jaylah in Star Trek: Beyond, and in addition to The Mummy, will be seen alongside Charlize Theron in Atomic Blonde this year.
In The Mummy, she is Ahmanet, the wronged princess from ancient Egypt who comes roaring back into the modern world, bringing chaos with her.
In an interview transcript provided by United International Pictures, Boutella talks about her role and the movie.
How did director Kurtzman pitch the character to you? “He asked to meet because I initially had a lot of hesitations about the role. I wanted to find the psychology and the reason as to why she does what she does.
“So, when I sat down with him, the first thing he said was: ‘Give me notes. Tell me your thoughts’.
“I told him it was an honour to have a strong female character in a film, but I didn’t want her to be a monster without any understanding of what made her that way.
“What was essential was that she had a background that was strong. Either it’s told clearly so people can understand, or because there is a rhythm to her and enough dialogue to portray something ... layers underneath.
“When you watch, for example, Heath Ledger playing the Joker in The Dark Knight, he doesn’t necessarily say a lot about his story. But you feel it, there is something happening there that is far deeper than what meets the eyes, and I wanted to show that.
“When you watch Boris Karloff in the 1932 original The Mummy, he was very calm. There is a peaceful demeanour about him. There’s nothing monstrous about him really, and that’s powerful to me ….
“Alex wanted to go after the 1932 version, play proper homage and he wanted to be respectful to what has been done.
“That was appealing to me and was what pushed me to play Ahmanet.”
Did you go back and re-watch the original film after you got the part, or did you want to find your own interpretation? “I’ve had feelings before on other projects where I felt like I shouldn’t watch what had been done before.
“But for this one, I remembered when I was younger, the impact the film had on me, so I wanted to revisit it.
“I grew up watching the films because my family did, and there was subtleness to them that I admired and valued ….
“When I watched the film again, I was also looking for Ahmanet’s strength.
“I did research on ancient Egypt, on the country’s mythology, on the kings and queens and how they carried themselves.
“Even though Ahmanet hasn’t been granted the title of pharaoh or queen, she’s a princess that has been deceived.
“She is already embodying what it would be like to become a queen. So she carries herself that way.
“What I find common among all these people is that they don’t move faster than they need to. They never raise their voice and they command from something far deeper than what meets the eye.
“I thought it would be good to see what Boris did and how he did it as a man.
“I wanted to find the balance that works now for modern times, for today’s movies and find her.”
Was there a tough make-up process this time? “There was some make-up that was a bit heavy in terms of colouration. We didn’t end up using prosthetics.
“The visual effects team did work on my face, but the colour took a long time in the make-up chair. I had to be scanned many times!
“It was a long process, but I understood why they did it. Nailing the look of the Mummy was essential to making the movie work.
“Alex said that, and he’s absolutely right. It’s such an iconic role and character. I don’t think you can miss that. So you have to try everything and narrow it down.
“It’s good that the look we found is so powerful and strong, and I’m really proud of it. It was worth it!”
How was it like working with Cruise? “He’s a lovely man. He loves movies and movie-making so much. He has a childlike aspect to him that’s gorgeous and beautiful to observe, and his enthusiasm is priceless.
“It’s an interesting thing to observe and I left this experience very happy.
“I’ve learned a lot from him. Tom was always there. He always showed up.
“We had great conversations and great exchanges. I loved working with him and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”