The latest upcoming horror movie to hit theaters is a new take on a genre classic from producers James Wan and Jason Blum called Lee Cronin’s The Mummy. And whether you’ve been to theaters to see it, or are summoning up the courage, you might be curious to know how the heck the production pulled off all that skin flaying! CinemaBlend had to find out.
When Eric Eisenberg sat down with Wan of Atomic Monster, Blum of Blumhouse Productions and Cronin, he asked about what the horrifying skin in the movie is actually made of. It made for a hilarious little moment. Check out the clip below:
When asked about the “actual material” used to make the audience believe some of the characters’ skin is not A-OK, at first, Cronin answered by saying it was “human skin” with a completely straight face before getting serious. Here’s what he had to say candidly about the process:
There were actually a lot of different types, like obviously leaning into different types of latexes and things that would tear, but also hold. That was one of the things we needed that it would rip but not fall apart. But then even some of the earlier layers of skin, which are thin enough to get separated, were made out of a more paper-like substance. So our prosthetics team kind of used a lot of different techniques, but the key thing we were always up against, I was like, rip it off, but don't break it. It still has some sort of quality to it.
So, when you’re watching The Mummy, and you’re terrified by all the body horror stuff, perhaps this conversation can help ground things a bit. But, I’m going to be honest, I still think this movie is going to haunt you in all the right ways.
The first reactions to Lee Cronin’s The Mummy have incited all sorts of strong reactions for “not hold[ing] back”, having “ghoulish scares” and “without question, the most terrifying and disgusting Mummy movie you’ll ever see”. The movie earned a high audience score on Rotten Tomatoes of 78%, too.
The movie was thought up by Lee Cronin after someone asked him about when there was a “really, really terrifying” version of the story that’s typically been either a campy slasher or more of an action-adventure. You can check out the stress-inducing The Mummy trailer below:
The movie centers around a couple whose young daughter goes missing in the Egyptian desert. Eight years after her disappearance, she comes back into their lives when she is found mummified in a sarcophagus, yet somehow still alive. Her parents decide to move her back home, but it’s not long before she starts behaving erratically and horrors start occurring. It’s playing in theaters now. And, while you’re here, you can check out the same filmmakers that talked about the comeback of body horror here on CinemaBlend.
