10 Cancelled Horror Movies That Would Have Been LEGENDARY

After the success of Clive Barker's Hellraiser, Universal eyed the Scouse author and director to helm one of their most iconic IPs, The Mummy.

Even though the 1932 version is marvellous, there's never been a Mummy film that ramps up the gore and scares. But based on Barker's notes and concept art on The Mummy, there's little doubt his interpretation would've been beyond nerve-shredding.

This story focused on a modern-day curator who's secretly obsessed with the occult, with that fanaticism leading him to discover an ancient Egyptian sorcerer who unleashes all sorts of grotesqueries and metaphysical terrors on the world.

What stood out about Barker's vision is how it's not derivative of earlier adaptations. Rather than being a creature feature, this Mummy delved into deeper themes, like forbidden desire, corruption, and mysticism (which is on-brand for Barker). Instead of being a shambling corpse, the titular entity would be charismatic and godlike, capable of manipulating minds and bending reality.

Of course, Universal passed on the movie, believing it was too dark, weird, and sexually intense. And when Clive Barker left the project, The Mummy was drastically reworked into Stephen Sommers' swashbuckling blockbuster starring Brendan Fraser. 1999's The Mummy is beloved, but it would've been nice to see a Mummy adaptation that left everybody quaking in their boots.