There are certain cinematic trends that never fail to deliver for audiences, and no matter how many times they are covered, they will always create a buzz with fans. One of these is the trend of Ancient Egypt. This encompasses anything from the mysteries that surround the pharaohs and those who lived in Ancient Egypt to the dramatics around Howard Carter when he unearthed Tutankhamun to contemporary archaeologists and tomb investigators.
Recurring Remakes Show the Enduring Excitement of Egypt
Tom Cruise’s 2017 remake of the 1999 Brendan Fraser flick The Mummy may not have received the rave reviews expected, but it showed that cinema audiences were still enamored by what the pyramid backdrop could provide in a film. Even animated The Prince of Egypt (1998), following the Biblical story of Moses, wowed fans with its depictions of Ancient Egypt. Not forgetting, of course, the Elizabeth Taylor 1963 film Cleopatra also gained huge commercial and critical acclaim for featuring the Queen of the Nile. Tomb Raider launched onto screens in 2001, with Angelina Jolie in the title role as Lara Croft investigating a multitude of mysteries surrounding treasures and tombs. The 2018 remake, starring Alicia Vikander, helped bring Lara Croft to a new audience and showed that no matter how far cinematic storytelling has come, we will always be able to count on the majesty of Ancient Egypt.
It’s Not Just Films – Egypt is Perfect Game Fodder Too
The excitement of the Ancient Egypt-themed film doesn’t just remain on the silver screen. We can turn to the slot game Book of Dead for an example. Inspired by Indiana Jones and Ancient Egypt, the influence of the mysteries that surround the Egyptians here reaches the gaming world as well as the cinematic one. Mobile favorite Temple Run also shows how the appeal of Ancient Egypt can massively boost the popularity of a simple endless runner game. And there are countless more games inspired by Ancient Egypt. The key is that, as with film, developers are able to craft exciting game narratives from the mysteries provided by a topic where, still, so many questions have gone unanswered. This transcends all consoles and platforms of gaming.
Ancient Egypt Helps Us Accept a 77-Year-Old Indy
George Lucas and Steven Spielberg’s archaeologist hero, Indiana Jones, is also set to return to screens in 2021 for Harrison Ford’s fifth adventure of the Stetson-capped professor. The main appeal of Indiana Jones is that he is an adventurer and there is often little chance for many moviegoers to truly experience his exploits otherwise. If the cinema is escapism, then adventure cinema is the purest form of it. The fact that audiences are still so excited about the 77-year-old actor’s return to our screens shows just how enduring and engaging Egypt and the mysteries of what could be in a tomb are as a topic. One of the enduring excitements around Egypt is the fact that there are still elements shrouded in mystery. The clever cinematic storyteller can take these unknowns and turn them into a narrative for eager audiences. As such, we can expect slate after slate of films about Ancient Egypt, and likely packed theaters full of people to enjoy them.
"…"...certain cinematic trends never fail to deliver for audiences.""
