The Mummy reboot: New Girl's Jake Johnson in talks to star opposite Tom Cruise

New Girl star Jake Johnson is set to star opposite Tom Cruise in Universal Pictures' upcoming reboot of The Mummy. According to The Hollywood Reporter, which broke the news of Johnson's casting, the Jurassic World actor will play a member of the military, a role written specifically for him.

The project is being written by Prometheus scribe Jon Spaihts and will be directed by Star Trek's Alex Kurtzman, with Sean Daniel and Chris Morgan producing. The movie will begin shooting in April ahead of its scheduled release date in June 2017.

Johnson isn't the only new face that has been added to the project recently. Just yesterday (8 March), Peaky Blinders star Annabelle Wallis was confirmed as a member of the cast while Sofia Boutella, whose big break came in the form of 2014's spy comedy Kingsman: The Secret Service, is also set to appear as the titular villain. A move that presents an interesting take on the original stories that traditionally saw male actors in the role.

While details of the plot have been kept under wraps, it has been revealed that the film will be set in modern day – unlike the previous trilogy starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, which took place in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, respectively. An unconfirmed synopsis on IMDb says of the retelling: "The story follows Navy Seal Tyler Colt and his mission in the Iraqi desert to find a group of terrorists hiding out in a bunker.

"To his and his team's surprise, the terrorists within the bunker turn out be nothing more than some grave robbers who have all magically died. Upon entering the bunker Tyler and his team also succumb to some mystical forces out of their control.

"They soon realise the bunker they have infiltrated is actually a centuries-old tomb. Mayhem erupts as all the Navy Seal members start turning on one another and are captivated by the forces within the tomb. From then on Tyler's mind is cursed with visions of... The Mummy."

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