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AI Works Best as a Teammate, Not a Tool written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Catch the full episode:   Episode Overview In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, John Jantsch speaks with Lauren Esposito, Chief Marketing Officer at Asymbl. They explore how the meaning of “hybrid workforce” has changed in the age of AI, why digital labor should be treated like human teammates, and what organizational shifts […]

6 Marketing Trends You Need to Focus on in 2026 written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Catch the full episode:

Episode Overview

In this solo episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, host John Jantsch shares six marketing trends he believes will shape 2026. Rather than speculative predictions, John focuses on developments that are already in motion and gaining momentum. He offers practical advice for businesses—especially local businesses—on how to leverage these trends for growth and visibility.

About the Host

John Jantsch is a marketing consultant, author, and creator of Duct Tape Marketing. With decades of experience helping small businesses grow, John is known for breaking down complex marketing concepts into actionable strategies. He hosts the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast to share insights, trends, and real-world advice for business owners and marketers.

Key Takeaways & Timestamped Highlights

00:00 – Introduction to the 2026 Trends

John sets expectations: these are not radical predictions, but important trends gaining traction that marketers should be preparing for.

01:30 – Trend #1: The Local Advantage Gets Louder

Local SEO and Google Business Profiles remain critical for local businesses. John emphasizes using your profile as a publishing platform—not just a directory listing—to enhance visibility in local search results. Ensure images, services, posts, reviews, and engagement are optimized. Local directories beyond Google can also influence local search signals.

03:48 – Trend #2: Real Is the New Viral

Authenticity wins. AI-generated content increases noise, but real, human stories, behind-the-scenes content, and genuine client experiences cut through the clutter. Avoid stock photos and generic messaging; share what only you can share.

06:13 – Trend #3: Mischief as a Marketing Strategy

Creative, unexpected, and offline experiences can generate buzz. Think handwritten notes, spontaneous events, unconventional collaborations, or local street team activities. These experiences fuel word-of-mouth and online amplification.

07:43 – Trend #4: Retention Is the New Acquisition

Retention and lifecycle marketing unlock profit. Instead of allocating most budget to new customer acquisition, prioritize onboarding, upsells, referrals, and reactivation. Loyal customers are a key source of sustainable revenue.

10:11 – Trend #5: The Rise of Trust Brokers

Move beyond big influencers. Micro-influencers and niche creators—trust brokers—hold sway within tightly engaged communities. Build long-term, reciprocal relationships rather than one-off sponsored posts.

11:30 – Trend #6: Be the Answer

Search is evolving from keyword ranking to fulfilling user intent. Produce content that genuinely answers questions, solves problems, and assists your ideal customer. Useful content attracts engaged visitors rather than fleeting traffic.

Memorable Quotes from the Episode

“If everything from your organization starts to sound like it came from a robot, you’re going to have trouble standing out.”

“Retention isn’t just a marketing technique, it’s where the real money hides in most businesses.”

“Be the answer. Give people content that actually helps them solve problems.”

Actionable Strategies From the Episode

• Audit and update your Google Business Profile this week—treat it as an active content channel.
• Commit to publishing at least one piece of authentic, behind-the-scenes content weekly.
• Brainstorm one unexpected offline marketing activity each quarter to spark word-of-mouth.
• Evaluate your customer journey—identify retention opportunities and lifecycle touchpoints.
• Identify 3–5 niche creators aligned with your audience and develop partnership ideas.
• Create content that answers real customer questions rather than chasing search algorithms.

Connect with John Jantsch

Visit the Duct Tape Marketing website for additional resources, tools, and episode archives. Follow John on LinkedIn for daily insights into marketing strategy and trends.

6 Marketing Trends You Need to Focus on in 2026 written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Catch the full episode: Episode Overview In this solo episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, host John Jantsch shares six marketing trends he believes will shape 2026. Rather than speculative predictions, John focuses on developments that are already in motion and gaining momentum. He offers practical advice for businesses—especially local businesses—on how to leverage […]

6 Marketing Trends You Need to Focus on in 2026 written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Catch the full episode:

Episode Overview

In this solo episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, host John Jantsch shares six marketing trends he believes will shape 2026. Rather than speculative predictions, John focuses on developments that are already in motion and gaining momentum. He offers practical advice for businesses—especially local businesses—on how to leverage these trends for growth and visibility.

About the Host

John Jantsch is a marketing consultant, author, and creator of Duct Tape Marketing. With decades of experience helping small businesses grow, John is known for breaking down complex marketing concepts into actionable strategies. He hosts the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast to share insights, trends, and real-world advice for business owners and marketers.

Key Takeaways & Timestamped Highlights

00:00 – Introduction to the 2026 Trends

John sets expectations: these are not radical predictions, but important trends gaining traction that marketers should be preparing for.

01:30 – Trend #1: The Local Advantage Gets Louder

Local SEO and Google Business Profiles remain critical for local businesses. John emphasizes using your profile as a publishing platform—not just a directory listing—to enhance visibility in local search results. Ensure images, services, posts, reviews, and engagement are optimized. Local directories beyond Google can also influence local search signals.

03:48 – Trend #2: Real Is the New Viral

Authenticity wins. AI-generated content increases noise, but real, human stories, behind-the-scenes content, and genuine client experiences cut through the clutter. Avoid stock photos and generic messaging; share what only you can share.

06:13 – Trend #3: Mischief as a Marketing Strategy

Creative, unexpected, and offline experiences can generate buzz. Think handwritten notes, spontaneous events, unconventional collaborations, or local street team activities. These experiences fuel word-of-mouth and online amplification.

07:43 – Trend #4: Retention Is the New Acquisition

Retention and lifecycle marketing unlock profit. Instead of allocating most budget to new customer acquisition, prioritize onboarding, upsells, referrals, and reactivation. Loyal customers are a key source of sustainable revenue.

10:11 – Trend #5: The Rise of Trust Brokers

Move beyond big influencers. Micro-influencers and niche creators—trust brokers—hold sway within tightly engaged communities. Build long-term, reciprocal relationships rather than one-off sponsored posts.

11:30 – Trend #6: Be the Answer

Search is evolving from keyword ranking to fulfilling user intent. Produce content that genuinely answers questions, solves problems, and assists your ideal customer. Useful content attracts engaged visitors rather than fleeting traffic.

Memorable Quotes from the Episode

“If everything from your organization starts to sound like it came from a robot, you’re going to have trouble standing out.”

“Retention isn’t just a marketing technique, it’s where the real money hides in most businesses.”

“Be the answer. Give people content that actually helps them solve problems.”

Actionable Strategies From the Episode

• Audit and update your Google Business Profile this week—treat it as an active content channel.
• Commit to publishing at least one piece of authentic, behind-the-scenes content weekly.
• Brainstorm one unexpected offline marketing activity each quarter to spark word-of-mouth.
• Evaluate your customer journey—identify retention opportunities and lifecycle touchpoints.
• Identify 3–5 niche creators aligned with your audience and develop partnership ideas.
• Create content that answers real customer questions rather than chasing search algorithms.

Connect with John Jantsch

Visit the Duct Tape Marketing website for additional resources, tools, and episode archives. Follow John on LinkedIn for daily insights into marketing strategy and trends.

This article contains spoilers for Industry season 4 episode 1… and the Stranger Things finale, funnily enough. When it comes to acting talent, Industry boasts a pretty deep bench. Through its first three seasons, the HBO financial drama about London stockbrokers has enjoyed the presence of burgeoning stars like mononymic Instagram genius Myha’la, erstwhile Amy […]

The post Industry Season 4 Is HBO’s Image Adjustment Service for TV Actors appeared first on Den of Geek.

When you think about it, the Mummy is a weird horror movie monster. Dracula? Wolf Man? The Creature from the Black Lagoon? All those make sense, with their teeth and their claws. But the mummy is a dead guy in bandages, who chases you really, really slowly if you dig him up. How bad is that? The most famous Mummy movies handle that problem by making horror secondary to other genres, a gothic romance in 1932 and Indiana Jones style adventure in 1999.

But if the first trailer for Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is any indication, the Irish director of Evil Dead Rise isn’t having any of that. The 65-second long teaser for the new Blumhouse flick is all Texas Chainsaw Massacre-style flash bulks and sharp noises, set to the sound of someone chanting in a foreign language that may not be “Klaatu barada nikto” but it sure is close. There’s even a kid smashing in his face with an intensity that would make the Philippou brothers jealous. The teaser ends with the question “What happened to Katie?” indicating that Cronin’s take will be neither romance nor adventure, but pure terror.

While the director has his name in the title probably to distinguish this picture from the fourth entry in the Brendan Fraser Mummy series, which is currently in pre-production, it also serves to underscore how different Cronin’s take seems to be. The director established himself as an expert in creeping family-based horror with his 2019 debut The Hole in the Ground, and then supercharged in 2023 with Evil Dead Rise.

With The Mummy, Cronin plans to add some new tools to his horror kit. “The movie itself really is a mystery and it’s a puzzle box, which was part of my draw towards it,” he told IGN. “I think for me what’s really interesting and exciting, certainly even from childhood and being drawn towards Egyptian lore and that entire world, is the secrets that exist and the hidden things. So the movie that I wanted to make was reflective of that idea of deep, buried secrets and things we may not know about. This movie is coming from a very different place, and it’s not even a reinvention of mummy lore; it’s looking into darker places and doing something different with what we think we might already know.”

Yet, when it came time for him to cite his influences, Cronin emphasized neither the 1932 nor the 1999 movies, but rather two more recent clips. “It’s an insane mashup to suggest, but [this film is] almost one part Poltergeist and one part Seven,” Cronin told IGN; “but put through my lens and the way that I like to entertain people.”

Unlikely as that mash-up might seem, it does make a certain sense, especially when, as Cronin put it, put through his lens. Families, secrets, and arcane puzzles all play some part in both of Cronin’s previous films and the two blockbusters he cites. Moreover, we can see how they play out in the trailer, with shots of a coffin being uncovered and gauzy strips covered with writing, as well as the central question about the missing Katie.

Will those combinations make for an entertaining movie, as Cronin hopes? We can’t tell for sure from the trailer, but one thing is clear. This is going to be one truly scary Mummy movie.

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy arrives in theaters on April 17, 2026.

The post Lee Cronin’s The Mummy Trailer Remembers These Things Are Supposed to Be Scary appeared first on Den of Geek.

This article contains spoilers for His & Hers. Netflix’s latest thriller series, His & Hers, has one hell of a final twist. Based on Alice Feeney’s 2020 novel of the same name, the adaptation has received mixed reviews from critics, but it’s hard not to be impressed by its shocking ending, which arrives after everything […]

The post His & Hers: The Final Twist of This Netflix Show Is Worth Waiting For appeared first on Den of Geek.

When you think about it, the Mummy is a weird horror movie monster. Dracula? Wolf Man? The Creature from the Black Lagoon? All those make sense, with their teeth and their claws. But the mummy is a dead guy in bandages, who chases you really, really slowly if you dig him up. How bad is that? The most famous Mummy movies handle that problem by making horror secondary to other genres, a gothic romance in 1932 and Indiana Jones style adventure in 1999.

But if the first trailer for Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is any indication, the Irish director of Evil Dead Rise isn’t having any of that. The 65-second long teaser for the new Blumhouse flick is all Texas Chainsaw Massacre-style flash bulks and sharp noises, set to the sound of someone chanting in a foreign language that may not be “Klaatu barada nikto” but it sure is close. There’s even a kid smashing in his face with an intensity that would make the Philippou brothers jealous. The teaser ends with the question “What happened to Katie?” indicating that Cronin’s take will be neither romance nor adventure, but pure terror.

While the director has his name in the title probably to distinguish this picture from the fourth entry in the Brendan Fraser Mummy series, which is currently in pre-production, it also serves to underscore how different Cronin’s take seems to be. The director established himself as an expert in creeping family-based horror with his 2019 debut The Hole in the Ground, and then supercharged in 2023 with Evil Dead Rise.

With The Mummy, Cronin plans to add some new tools to his horror kit. “The movie itself really is a mystery and it’s a puzzle box, which was part of my draw towards it,” he told IGN. “I think for me what’s really interesting and exciting, certainly even from childhood and being drawn towards Egyptian lore and that entire world, is the secrets that exist and the hidden things. So the movie that I wanted to make was reflective of that idea of deep, buried secrets and things we may not know about. This movie is coming from a very different place, and it’s not even a reinvention of mummy lore; it’s looking into darker places and doing something different with what we think we might already know.”

Yet, when it came time for him to cite his influences, Cronin emphasized neither the 1932 nor the 1999 movies, but rather two more recent clips. “It’s an insane mashup to suggest, but [this film is] almost one part Poltergeist and one part Seven,” Cronin told IGN; “but put through my lens and the way that I like to entertain people.”

Unlikely as that mash-up might seem, it does make a certain sense, especially when, as Cronin put it, put through his lens. Families, secrets, and arcane puzzles all play some part in both of Cronin’s previous films and the two blockbusters he cites. Moreover, we can see how they play out in the trailer, with shots of a coffin being uncovered and gauzy strips covered with writing, as well as the central question about the missing Katie.

Will those combinations make for an entertaining movie, as Cronin hopes? We can’t tell for sure from the trailer, but one thing is clear. This is going to be one truly scary Mummy movie.

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy arrives in theaters on April 17, 2026.

The post Lee Cronin’s The Mummy Trailer Remembers These Things Are Supposed to Be Scary appeared first on Den of Geek.

This article contains spoilers for the final season of Stranger Things. Charlie Heaton, who starred as Jonathan Byers in Netflix’s hit sci-fi show Stranger Things, has recently opened up about one of the most debated moments in its fifth and final season: the breakdown of the relationship between his character and Nancy Wheeler (played by […]

The post Charlie Heaton Shares His Take on That Stranger Things Breakup appeared first on Den of Geek.

When you think about it, the Mummy is a weird horror movie monster. Dracula? Wolf Man? The Creature from the Black Lagoon? All those make sense, with their teeth and their claws. But the mummy is a dead guy in bandages, who chases you really, really slowly if you dig him up. How bad is that? The most famous Mummy movies handle that problem by making horror secondary to other genres, a gothic romance in 1932 and Indiana Jones style adventure in 1999.

But if the first trailer for Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is any indication, the Irish director of Evil Dead Rise isn’t having any of that. The 65-second long teaser for the new Blumhouse flick is all Texas Chainsaw Massacre-style flash bulks and sharp noises, set to the sound of someone chanting in a foreign language that may not be “Klaatu barada nikto” but it sure is close. There’s even a kid smashing in his face with an intensity that would make the Philippou brothers jealous. The teaser ends with the question “What happened to Katie?” indicating that Cronin’s take will be neither romance nor adventure, but pure terror.

While the director has his name in the title probably to distinguish this picture from the fourth entry in the Brendan Fraser Mummy series, which is currently in pre-production, it also serves to underscore how different Cronin’s take seems to be. The director established himself as an expert in creeping family-based horror with his 2019 debut The Hole in the Ground, and then supercharged in 2023 with Evil Dead Rise.

With The Mummy, Cronin plans to add some new tools to his horror kit. “The movie itself really is a mystery and it’s a puzzle box, which was part of my draw towards it,” he told IGN. “I think for me what’s really interesting and exciting, certainly even from childhood and being drawn towards Egyptian lore and that entire world, is the secrets that exist and the hidden things. So the movie that I wanted to make was reflective of that idea of deep, buried secrets and things we may not know about. This movie is coming from a very different place, and it’s not even a reinvention of mummy lore; it’s looking into darker places and doing something different with what we think we might already know.”

Yet, when it came time for him to cite his influences, Cronin emphasized neither the 1932 nor the 1999 movies, but rather two more recent clips. “It’s an insane mashup to suggest, but [this film is] almost one part Poltergeist and one part Seven,” Cronin told IGN; “but put through my lens and the way that I like to entertain people.”

Unlikely as that mash-up might seem, it does make a certain sense, especially when, as Cronin put it, put through his lens. Families, secrets, and arcane puzzles all play some part in both of Cronin’s previous films and the two blockbusters he cites. Moreover, we can see how they play out in the trailer, with shots of a coffin being uncovered and gauzy strips covered with writing, as well as the central question about the missing Katie.

Will those combinations make for an entertaining movie, as Cronin hopes? We can’t tell for sure from the trailer, but one thing is clear. This is going to be one truly scary Mummy movie.

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy arrives in theaters on April 17, 2026.

The post Lee Cronin’s The Mummy Trailer Remembers These Things Are Supposed to Be Scary appeared first on Den of Geek.

After an underwhelming theatrical run and mixed reviews, Edgar Wright’s adaptation of Stephen King’s 1982 novel The Running Man hits streaming this week on Paramount+, where it’s likely to find a more forgiving audience. The satirical sci-fi action flick stars Glen Powell (Twisters) as Ben Richards, a struggling laborer who enters a deadly TV game […]

The post The Running Man Will Find its Real Audience on Streaming appeared first on Den of Geek.

When you think about it, the Mummy is a weird horror movie monster. Dracula? Wolf Man? The Creature from the Black Lagoon? All those make sense, with their teeth and their claws. But the mummy is a dead guy in bandages, who chases you really, really slowly if you dig him up. How bad is that? The most famous Mummy movies handle that problem by making horror secondary to other genres, a gothic romance in 1932 and Indiana Jones style adventure in 1999.

But if the first trailer for Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is any indication, the Irish director of Evil Dead Rise isn’t having any of that. The 65-second long teaser for the new Blumhouse flick is all Texas Chainsaw Massacre-style flash bulks and sharp noises, set to the sound of someone chanting in a foreign language that may not be “Klaatu barada nikto” but it sure is close. There’s even a kid smashing in his face with an intensity that would make the Philippou brothers jealous. The teaser ends with the question “What happened to Katie?” indicating that Cronin’s take will be neither romance nor adventure, but pure terror.

While the director has his name in the title probably to distinguish this picture from the fourth entry in the Brendan Fraser Mummy series, which is currently in pre-production, it also serves to underscore how different Cronin’s take seems to be. The director established himself as an expert in creeping family-based horror with his 2019 debut The Hole in the Ground, and then supercharged in 2023 with Evil Dead Rise.

With The Mummy, Cronin plans to add some new tools to his horror kit. “The movie itself really is a mystery and it’s a puzzle box, which was part of my draw towards it,” he told IGN. “I think for me what’s really interesting and exciting, certainly even from childhood and being drawn towards Egyptian lore and that entire world, is the secrets that exist and the hidden things. So the movie that I wanted to make was reflective of that idea of deep, buried secrets and things we may not know about. This movie is coming from a very different place, and it’s not even a reinvention of mummy lore; it’s looking into darker places and doing something different with what we think we might already know.”

Yet, when it came time for him to cite his influences, Cronin emphasized neither the 1932 nor the 1999 movies, but rather two more recent clips. “It’s an insane mashup to suggest, but [this film is] almost one part Poltergeist and one part Seven,” Cronin told IGN; “but put through my lens and the way that I like to entertain people.”

Unlikely as that mash-up might seem, it does make a certain sense, especially when, as Cronin put it, put through his lens. Families, secrets, and arcane puzzles all play some part in both of Cronin’s previous films and the two blockbusters he cites. Moreover, we can see how they play out in the trailer, with shots of a coffin being uncovered and gauzy strips covered with writing, as well as the central question about the missing Katie.

Will those combinations make for an entertaining movie, as Cronin hopes? We can’t tell for sure from the trailer, but one thing is clear. This is going to be one truly scary Mummy movie.

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy arrives in theaters on April 17, 2026.

The post Lee Cronin’s The Mummy Trailer Remembers These Things Are Supposed to Be Scary appeared first on Den of Geek.

Godzilla is the King of the Monsters, on that we can all agree. But which Godzilla are we talking about? Just limiting to the past few years, there are two Godzillas in the mix. There’s the Godzilla in the MonsterVerse franchise, the American series produced by Legendary Pictures that began with 2014’s Godzilla and have […]

The post Godzilla Minus Zero Deserves a Full Theatrical Push appeared first on Den of Geek.

When you think about it, the Mummy is a weird horror movie monster. Dracula? Wolf Man? The Creature from the Black Lagoon? All those make sense, with their teeth and their claws. But the mummy is a dead guy in bandages, who chases you really, really slowly if you dig him up. How bad is that? The most famous Mummy movies handle that problem by making horror secondary to other genres, a gothic romance in 1932 and Indiana Jones style adventure in 1999.

But if the first trailer for Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is any indication, the Irish director of Evil Dead Rise isn’t having any of that. The 65-second long teaser for the new Blumhouse flick is all Texas Chainsaw Massacre-style flash bulks and sharp noises, set to the sound of someone chanting in a foreign language that may not be “Klaatu barada nikto” but it sure is close. There’s even a kid smashing in his face with an intensity that would make the Philippou brothers jealous. The teaser ends with the question “What happened to Katie?” indicating that Cronin’s take will be neither romance nor adventure, but pure terror.

While the director has his name in the title probably to distinguish this picture from the fourth entry in the Brendan Fraser Mummy series, which is currently in pre-production, it also serves to underscore how different Cronin’s take seems to be. The director established himself as an expert in creeping family-based horror with his 2019 debut The Hole in the Ground, and then supercharged in 2023 with Evil Dead Rise.

With The Mummy, Cronin plans to add some new tools to his horror kit. “The movie itself really is a mystery and it’s a puzzle box, which was part of my draw towards it,” he told IGN. “I think for me what’s really interesting and exciting, certainly even from childhood and being drawn towards Egyptian lore and that entire world, is the secrets that exist and the hidden things. So the movie that I wanted to make was reflective of that idea of deep, buried secrets and things we may not know about. This movie is coming from a very different place, and it’s not even a reinvention of mummy lore; it’s looking into darker places and doing something different with what we think we might already know.”

Yet, when it came time for him to cite his influences, Cronin emphasized neither the 1932 nor the 1999 movies, but rather two more recent clips. “It’s an insane mashup to suggest, but [this film is] almost one part Poltergeist and one part Seven,” Cronin told IGN; “but put through my lens and the way that I like to entertain people.”

Unlikely as that mash-up might seem, it does make a certain sense, especially when, as Cronin put it, put through his lens. Families, secrets, and arcane puzzles all play some part in both of Cronin’s previous films and the two blockbusters he cites. Moreover, we can see how they play out in the trailer, with shots of a coffin being uncovered and gauzy strips covered with writing, as well as the central question about the missing Katie.

Will those combinations make for an entertaining movie, as Cronin hopes? We can’t tell for sure from the trailer, but one thing is clear. This is going to be one truly scary Mummy movie.

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy arrives in theaters on April 17, 2026.

The post Lee Cronin’s The Mummy Trailer Remembers These Things Are Supposed to Be Scary appeared first on Den of Geek.

The morning after the 83rd annual Golden Globes Awards has set a media narrative that could define the next month of awards shows: this is the year of One Battle After Another or Hamnet, at least per an organization that gave both the title “Best Picture,” with the dubious claim of Paul Thomas Anderson’s tense, […]

The post Did the Golden Globes Hurt Sinners’ Oscar Chances? appeared first on Den of Geek.

When you think about it, the Mummy is a weird horror movie monster. Dracula? Wolf Man? The Creature from the Black Lagoon? All those make sense, with their teeth and their claws. But the mummy is a dead guy in bandages, who chases you really, really slowly if you dig him up. How bad is that? The most famous Mummy movies handle that problem by making horror secondary to other genres, a gothic romance in 1932 and Indiana Jones style adventure in 1999.

But if the first trailer for Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is any indication, the Irish director of Evil Dead Rise isn’t having any of that. The 65-second long teaser for the new Blumhouse flick is all Texas Chainsaw Massacre-style flash bulks and sharp noises, set to the sound of someone chanting in a foreign language that may not be “Klaatu barada nikto” but it sure is close. There’s even a kid smashing in his face with an intensity that would make the Philippou brothers jealous. The teaser ends with the question “What happened to Katie?” indicating that Cronin’s take will be neither romance nor adventure, but pure terror.

While the director has his name in the title probably to distinguish this picture from the fourth entry in the Brendan Fraser Mummy series, which is currently in pre-production, it also serves to underscore how different Cronin’s take seems to be. The director established himself as an expert in creeping family-based horror with his 2019 debut The Hole in the Ground, and then supercharged in 2023 with Evil Dead Rise.

With The Mummy, Cronin plans to add some new tools to his horror kit. “The movie itself really is a mystery and it’s a puzzle box, which was part of my draw towards it,” he told IGN. “I think for me what’s really interesting and exciting, certainly even from childhood and being drawn towards Egyptian lore and that entire world, is the secrets that exist and the hidden things. So the movie that I wanted to make was reflective of that idea of deep, buried secrets and things we may not know about. This movie is coming from a very different place, and it’s not even a reinvention of mummy lore; it’s looking into darker places and doing something different with what we think we might already know.”

Yet, when it came time for him to cite his influences, Cronin emphasized neither the 1932 nor the 1999 movies, but rather two more recent clips. “It’s an insane mashup to suggest, but [this film is] almost one part Poltergeist and one part Seven,” Cronin told IGN; “but put through my lens and the way that I like to entertain people.”

Unlikely as that mash-up might seem, it does make a certain sense, especially when, as Cronin put it, put through his lens. Families, secrets, and arcane puzzles all play some part in both of Cronin’s previous films and the two blockbusters he cites. Moreover, we can see how they play out in the trailer, with shots of a coffin being uncovered and gauzy strips covered with writing, as well as the central question about the missing Katie.

Will those combinations make for an entertaining movie, as Cronin hopes? We can’t tell for sure from the trailer, but one thing is clear. This is going to be one truly scary Mummy movie.

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy arrives in theaters on April 17, 2026.

The post Lee Cronin’s The Mummy Trailer Remembers These Things Are Supposed to Be Scary appeared first on Den of Geek.

In the pages of Marvel Comics, Simon Williams has gone through a lot. As Wonder Man, he gets duped into fighting the Avengers in his first appearance, he dies sacrificing himself as atonement, regularly becomes an incorporeal creature of ionic energy upon his resurrection, has an acting career filled with disappointment, and often serves on […]

The post Latest Wonder Man Teaser Hints at a Major Thunderbolts* Connection appeared first on Den of Geek.

When you think about it, the Mummy is a weird horror movie monster. Dracula? Wolf Man? The Creature from the Black Lagoon? All those make sense, with their teeth and their claws. But the mummy is a dead guy in bandages, who chases you really, really slowly if you dig him up. How bad is that? The most famous Mummy movies handle that problem by making horror secondary to other genres, a gothic romance in 1932 and Indiana Jones style adventure in 1999.

But if the first trailer for Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is any indication, the Irish director of Evil Dead Rise isn’t having any of that. The 65-second long teaser for the new Blumhouse flick is all Texas Chainsaw Massacre-style flash bulks and sharp noises, set to the sound of someone chanting in a foreign language that may not be “Klaatu barada nikto” but it sure is close. There’s even a kid smashing in his face with an intensity that would make the Philippou brothers jealous. The teaser ends with the question “What happened to Katie?” indicating that Cronin’s take will be neither romance nor adventure, but pure terror.

While the director has his name in the title probably to distinguish this picture from the fourth entry in the Brendan Fraser Mummy series, which is currently in pre-production, it also serves to underscore how different Cronin’s take seems to be. The director established himself as an expert in creeping family-based horror with his 2019 debut The Hole in the Ground, and then supercharged in 2023 with Evil Dead Rise.

With The Mummy, Cronin plans to add some new tools to his horror kit. “The movie itself really is a mystery and it’s a puzzle box, which was part of my draw towards it,” he told IGN. “I think for me what’s really interesting and exciting, certainly even from childhood and being drawn towards Egyptian lore and that entire world, is the secrets that exist and the hidden things. So the movie that I wanted to make was reflective of that idea of deep, buried secrets and things we may not know about. This movie is coming from a very different place, and it’s not even a reinvention of mummy lore; it’s looking into darker places and doing something different with what we think we might already know.”

Yet, when it came time for him to cite his influences, Cronin emphasized neither the 1932 nor the 1999 movies, but rather two more recent clips. “It’s an insane mashup to suggest, but [this film is] almost one part Poltergeist and one part Seven,” Cronin told IGN; “but put through my lens and the way that I like to entertain people.”

Unlikely as that mash-up might seem, it does make a certain sense, especially when, as Cronin put it, put through his lens. Families, secrets, and arcane puzzles all play some part in both of Cronin’s previous films and the two blockbusters he cites. Moreover, we can see how they play out in the trailer, with shots of a coffin being uncovered and gauzy strips covered with writing, as well as the central question about the missing Katie.

Will those combinations make for an entertaining movie, as Cronin hopes? We can’t tell for sure from the trailer, but one thing is clear. This is going to be one truly scary Mummy movie.

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy arrives in theaters on April 17, 2026.

The post Lee Cronin’s The Mummy Trailer Remembers These Things Are Supposed to Be Scary appeared first on Den of Geek.

When you think about it, the Mummy is a weird horror movie monster. Dracula? Wolf Man? The Creature from the Black Lagoon? All those make sense, with their teeth and their claws. But the mummy is a dead guy in bandages, who chases you really, really slowly if you dig him up. How bad is […]

The post Lee Cronin’s The Mummy Trailer Remembers These Things Are Supposed to Be Scary appeared first on Den of Geek.

When you think about it, the Mummy is a weird horror movie monster. Dracula? Wolf Man? The Creature from the Black Lagoon? All those make sense, with their teeth and their claws. But the mummy is a dead guy in bandages, who chases you really, really slowly if you dig him up. How bad is that? The most famous Mummy movies handle that problem by making horror secondary to other genres, a gothic romance in 1932 and Indiana Jones style adventure in 1999.

But if the first trailer for Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is any indication, the Irish director of Evil Dead Rise isn’t having any of that. The 65-second long teaser for the new Blumhouse flick is all Texas Chainsaw Massacre-style flash bulks and sharp noises, set to the sound of someone chanting in a foreign language that may not be “Klaatu barada nikto” but it sure is close. There’s even a kid smashing in his face with an intensity that would make the Philippou brothers jealous. The teaser ends with the question “What happened to Katie?” indicating that Cronin’s take will be neither romance nor adventure, but pure terror.

While the director has his name in the title probably to distinguish this picture from the fourth entry in the Brendan Fraser Mummy series, which is currently in pre-production, it also serves to underscore how different Cronin’s take seems to be. The director established himself as an expert in creeping family-based horror with his 2019 debut The Hole in the Ground, and then supercharged in 2023 with Evil Dead Rise.

With The Mummy, Cronin plans to add some new tools to his horror kit. “The movie itself really is a mystery and it’s a puzzle box, which was part of my draw towards it,” he told IGN. “I think for me what’s really interesting and exciting, certainly even from childhood and being drawn towards Egyptian lore and that entire world, is the secrets that exist and the hidden things. So the movie that I wanted to make was reflective of that idea of deep, buried secrets and things we may not know about. This movie is coming from a very different place, and it’s not even a reinvention of mummy lore; it’s looking into darker places and doing something different with what we think we might already know.”

Yet, when it came time for him to cite his influences, Cronin emphasized neither the 1932 nor the 1999 movies, but rather two more recent clips. “It’s an insane mashup to suggest, but [this film is] almost one part Poltergeist and one part Seven,” Cronin told IGN; “but put through my lens and the way that I like to entertain people.”

Unlikely as that mash-up might seem, it does make a certain sense, especially when, as Cronin put it, put through his lens. Families, secrets, and arcane puzzles all play some part in both of Cronin’s previous films and the two blockbusters he cites. Moreover, we can see how they play out in the trailer, with shots of a coffin being uncovered and gauzy strips covered with writing, as well as the central question about the missing Katie.

Will those combinations make for an entertaining movie, as Cronin hopes? We can’t tell for sure from the trailer, but one thing is clear. This is going to be one truly scary Mummy movie.

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy arrives in theaters on April 17, 2026.

The post Lee Cronin’s The Mummy Trailer Remembers These Things Are Supposed to Be Scary appeared first on Den of Geek.