Sequels tend to be big news in the movie world, and a director on a big franchise can barely sneeze without someone reporting on it. Apparently, that hype train doesn’t translate so well to a sequel of a sequel of a sequel of a spin-off of a sequel of a reboot of a 1932 horror classic. Scoprion King 4 is apparently a thing (and still Dwayne Johnson-less), and without anyone noticing, has already finished filming.
The film is following in the proud tradition of the straight-to-video sequels before it: Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior and Scorpion King 3: Battle For Redemption. Neither of those featured The Rock, who starred in the original Scorpion King, as well as The Mummy Returns, where the character was originally introduced.
Rutger Hauer, Barry Bostwick and Michael Biehn are thew new additions to the cast this time around, with Victor Webster back as the Scorp King himself.
Here’s the full press release:
The deposed warrior king Mathayus embarks on his most dangerous assignment ever as he attempts to bring lasting peace to his troubled land. When he is betrayed by a trusted friend, Mathayus must marshal all his strength and cunning to outwit a formidable opponent who will stop at nothing to destroy him in an epic battle to the death. With a cast that includes an array of world-renowned athletes and professional fighters, The Scorpion King 4 brings an unprecedented level of excitement and action to a much-anticipated new adventure.
The Scorpion King 4 propels the enormously successful series to new heights with more of the intrigue and pulse-pounding action that have made the spectacular adventure franchise an international blockbuster, all playing out against a lavishly imagined fantasy world set in the midst of some of Europe’s most breathtaking landscapes.
“From his very first appearance in The Mummy Returns, the Scorpion King has seized the imagination of audiences worldwide,” says Glenn Ross, General Manager and Executive Vice President, Universal 1440 Entertainment. “The Scorpion King 4 continues the thrilling saga of this larger-than-life character in the most intense action-filled adventure to date.”
Victor Webster (pictured above; The Scorpion King: The Battle for Redemption) returns in the title role in the fourth installment of the Scorpion King series, which is produced and directed by Mike Elliott (War, The Devil’s Rejects) from a script by Michael Weiss (Journey to the Center of the Earth, Hostel III). Executive producers include Sean Daniel, Jim Jacks, Stephen Sommers, and Kevin Misher.
Along with Webster, the noteworthy cast includes Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner), Michael Biehn (The Terminator, The Abyss), Barry Bostwick (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, “Spin City”), Lou Ferrigno (“The Incredible Hulk”), Ellen Hollman (Spartacus: War of the Damned), M. Emmet Walsh (Blood Simple), and Will Kemp (Step Up-2: The Streets). In addition, a slew of celebrated athletes appearing in the film include “The Ultimate Fighter” winner Roy “Big Country” Nelson, renowned mixed martial arts fighter Royce Gracie, Cage Rage World Champion Antonio “Big Foot” Silva, three-time WKO World Kickboxer Champion Don “The Dragon” Wilson, and three-time WWE Divas champion Eve Torres.