10 Actors Who Refused To Return For Sequels To Acclaimed Films

After the success of The Mummy (1999) and its sequel The Mummy Returns (2001) it looked like film's stars Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz and John Hannah would all definitely be sticking around for the third film in the lucrative series - The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008).

However, once Weisz read the script she quickly felt this wasn't the right choice for her at the time and bowed out of the project. The film's director Rob Cohen later added that Weisz turned down the chance to return as Evelyn Carnahan-O'Connell because she didn't want to play the mother of a 21 year-old - the age Evy's son Alex (Luke Ford) was set to be in the third movie - when she was only 37 in real life.

Yet, Weisz's agent alternatively claimed that she didn't want to be away from her newborn child for an extended period, with the five month filming schedule in China seeming like a bad idea so soon after welcoming her son into the world.

Whatever Weisz's reasons, Maria Bello was eventually brought in to replace her as Evy for a film which ended up being both the worst rated and lowest earner in the trilogy, a combination which spelt the end of the series.