‘We’re an island of storytellers’: Lee Cronin on making The Mummy in Ireland

Irish filmmaker Lee Cronin says it is an exciting time to be making films in Ireland, given the talent emerging from the country.

The Dublin-born writer-director is renowned for his horror films, including The Hole in the Ground and Evil Dead Rise.

His latest film, The Mummy, is a reimagining of the classic Mummy franchise, which includes the 1932 original starring horror icon Boris Karloff.

The film stars Jack Reynor (Midsommar) and Laia Costa (The Wheel of Time) as Charlie and Larissa Cannon, whose daughter Katie goes missing in the Egyptian desert.

Eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them and what should be a joyful reunion quickly turns into a living nightmare.

The film was made in Ireland and Spain and is inspired by Egyptian lore.

“I’ve always been attracted to the idea of buried secrets,” Cronin, 44, told the Press Association.

“And that, to me, is kind of what a mummy is.

“If we ignore movies for a moment and think about real history, people were buried not expecting to be disturbed, not to be woken up, but to be taken from their graves.

“And that’s really interesting. If you go digging around with the dead, what might you find?

He added: “That idea drew me in more than any attraction to previous Mummy films.

“This movie looks at mummification for a different purpose.

“Typically, we think of kings, queens, or pharaohs in Mummy stories.

“But here, it’s about something closer to home, what happens if someone very close to you is mummified, and why?”

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is one of a number of horror films recently made in Ireland.

Hokum by Damien McCarthy, starring Adam Scott, is also set to be released next month.

“I think, generationally, we’re now seeing Irish filmmakers emerge who were heavily influenced by genre movies when we were younger,” said Cronin.

“That influence is starting to filter through and really pay off, which is brilliant.

“We have an incredible wealth of talent, not just behind the camera, but in front of it as well, as we’ve seen with so many amazing casts.

“We’re truly an island of storytellers, and now we’re performing on the international stage all the time.

“Whether it’s horror or any other genre, that’s incredibly exciting to see and to be part of.”

Reynor, 34, who has also starred in Sing Street and Power Ballad, said it was a lovely experience to shoot the film in Ardmore Studios in Wicklow.

“For me, having the opportunity to shoot this film in Ireland, within our own film industry, and to take on something so ambitious and broad in scope was really special,” said the Irish actor.

“Filming at Ardmore, such a historic studio, made it an even more meaningful experience.

“I feel like some of my best work has been done at home in Ireland, whether the projects themselves are Irish-based or not.

“I was really proud of this one, proud that we were able to create something that felt like a true studio film: big, expansive, and ambitious, all while making it at home with an Irish crew.”

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is in UK and Irish cinemas on Friday.