Brendan Fraser surprises fans at The Mummy double bill screening

Brendan Fraser surprised fans at a double bill screening of The Mummy and The Mummy Returns at London's Prince Charles Cinema on Friday night (January 20), taking to the stage to address the audience before the double feature began.

"I'm proud to stand before you because this was a film that was made in Britain. You should know that. It was in Shepperton, and we shot it in Morocco. Even the second one too – be proud," he joked. 

"Thank you for being here. We had no idea what kind of movie we were making when we shot this. We didn't know if it was a drama or a comedy or a straight-hit action, romance, a horror picture, more action, all of the above. No idea, until they tested it in front of a British audience," he continued, to laughter and applause. "Thank you for that."

The Mummy was Fraser's breakout role, playing adventurer Rick O'Connell, back in 1999. The sequel followed in 2001 and a third installment, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emporer, followed in 2008.

Fraser was in London to promote his new film The Whale, directed by Darren Aronofsky, which releases in the UK on February 3. He stars as Charlie, a reclusive 600lb man who tries to reconnect with his 17-year-old daughter, played by Stranger Things' Sadie Sink, after the two became estranged when Charlie left his family for a new lover, who has now died. Samantha Morton plays his ex-wife Mary, while Hong Chau plays his nurse and closest friend. 

The Whale is out now in the US and arrives in the UK next week. In the meantime, check out our picks of the other best upcoming movies on the horizon in 2023 and beyond.