Entertainment
Evil Dead Director's Upcoming Haunt Breathes New Life Into Ancient Monster
By Jennifer Asencio
| Published
For the past few decades, mummies have been featured monsters in movies that are more action-oriented than horror. The last time a mummy was featured as a horror monster in a mainstream film was in 1987’s The Monster Squad. One could be forgiven for thinking of mummies in terms of Brendan Fraser or Tom Cruise, because zombies were introduced, and typical mummies are just zombies wrapped up in bandages … right?
An Ancient Dread For A Modern Audience
In the latest take on the monster, horror master Lee Cronin reminds audiences that mummies have a mystique that is steeped in ancient pagan ritual and occult practices. Millenia before there were zombies, the restless dead were said to have walked the earth, and the only way anyone knew to prevent such affliction was mummification. Early horror iterations called “The Mummy” often asked the question, “what if mummification wasn’t enough to contain the restless dead?” Even the action films tackle this query.
Cronin’s official trailer for The Mummy, which dropped on April 1, 2026, is no joke. It does seem to veer off into a strange direction from normal mummy movies; rather than digging up a 3,000-year-old corpse that then terrorizes the neighborhood, the mummy is a young child who has been missing for almost a decade and is found in a sealed sarcophagus of that ancient age, and it is she who terrorizes the neighborhood. Her distraught parents are both shocked and horrified to find her alive but unaged, and she seems to have returned with a ravenous appetite for fear, if not human flesh.
Cronin Knows How To Make Kids Creepy
Lee Cronin excels at simultaneously creating creepy evil children and making audiences extremely anxious on behalf of the protagonist children who are often their victims. His debut feature, The Hole in the Ground, is an excellent exercise in such dramatic tension, offering a child and a changeling imitating him and spending much of the movie not allowing audiences to know which child was which.
Evil Dead Rise, the first Evil Dead movie that I did not enjoy, still delivered on this theme by taking place among the family of a single mom rather than a group of college students. This is not why I wasn’t fond of the film, but rather that Cronin’s talents lie in his own IPs rather than in contributing to someone else’s. Plus, he’s backed this time by horror studio Blumhouse and their production partner, James Wan’s Atomic Monster.
Natalie Grace And Her Million Dollar Face
The Mummy thus seems to be a return to form for him, even as it borrows from another IP. The Evil Dead franchise has very narrow rules it operates by, while mummies and their cinematic lore have much broader leeway in what can be done with them. There is certainly room for Cronin to explore themes surrounding the horror of being a parent by connecting one of the most terrifying experiences a parent can have, a missing child, to an ancient Egyptian mummy. Coupled with his trademark chiaroscuro lighting in Gothic settings whose antiquity oozes from the very walls, the Irish director seems poised to reinforce his solid reputation in the horror genre.
The Hole in the Ground cast doubt upon whether the boy in it was real or his doppelganger, but The Mummy makes no obfuscation in showing that its creepy little girl, played by the odd-looking Natalie Grace and unnamed on IMDb, is definitely not who she was when she disappeared. The only doubt lies in whether this monster is riding around in their daughter’s actual body, or if it is simply disguising itself as her to prey upon them. Grace’s exotic eye shape lends itself mightily to her makeup and her uncanny and sinister behavior, and her youthful appearance makes her believable as she crawls around in her white nighty exuding evil with unconcealed glee.
Even if Grace’s performance turns out to be poor, her unique facial structure is enough to keep her employed for years, and her apparent emotional range, indicated by “before” scenes of the character with her family, hints that she will be great in this breakout role.
Lee Cronin’s The Mummy comes out in theaters on April 17, 2026. Check it out and prepare for a new twist on a very old monster.
Entertainment
BookCon 2026: Authors Rachel Reid, Stephanie Archer talk hockey romance and how it could change the sport for the better
With the fervor of Heated Rivalry, there’s a fierce desire among book readers for even more hockey. On Sunday, April 19, at BookCon, the “You Had Me at Hockey: A Look at One of Sports Romance’s Hottest Genres”, authors Rachel Reid (Heated Rivalry, Game Changer), Emily Rath (Pucking Around), Ngozi Ukazu (Check Please), Stephanie Archer (The Wild Card), and Kate Cochrane (Wake Up, Nat & Darcy) were joined by moderator and fellow author Bal Khabra (Collide) to discuss the rise and continued success of hockey romance.
Khabra kicked off the panel, asking just how hockey became so popular. Ukazu joked that it was as if the genre “escaped containment,” like when the Omegaverse went mainstream, while Reid described the mystery around hockey, saying, “what [the players] are doing seems impossible.” Archer also added that the sport itself is exceptionally hard on the body, and the celebrity around players, especially in Canada, is fun to play with.
But there’s more to the genre’s success than the tropes. “It has to be said,” Rath argued, “that the cornerstone of why this is so popular in publishing is racism.” She went on to say that straight, white women’s voices dominated the romance genre for so long, pointing out that hockey is also the whitest sport. Among major league sports, the NHL is the most predominantly white. In 2022, ESPN reported that 83.6% of league players and staff were white, compared to the NFL, where 25-27% of players are white, or the NBA, where white players make up 17.5% of the league.
Mashable Top Stories
Zooming into the genre, the authors also spoke about the writing process. They dove into the deeper aspects of their work, even the smut. Rath said, “I think the least sexy thing you can ever do is write a sex scene.” A similar sentiment came up during Reid’s Saturday panel, where she described using the sex scenes to further the emotional arc. When readers ask authors if they can skip the spice, Archer says of her own books, “No, you can’t skip the sex scenes. You’re missing so much character development if you don’t go on the journey with them.”
The panel turned to the future, too. Many of the authors write BIPOC and queer representation into their novels, in a genre that often centers on whiteness and homophobia. “We’re writing the world as we want it to be,” Rath said.
Reid has found that there is progress toward a future that these authors and their readers want to see, saying that the NHL is interested in working with them. “People on the inside, they really want to work toward change and want to make this happen.”
With the hockey fandom at an all-time high, there’s a whole team behind these authors ready to drive change.
Entertainment
Save on gas (and everything else) with a $15 BJ’s membership
TL;DR: Score a one-year BJ’s membership for $15 (reg. $60) and save up to 20¢/gal. on gas through April 30 — just in time for spring shopping and road trips.
Credit: BJ’s Wholesale Club
The warmer weather tends to sneak up fast, and so do those grocery bills and gas receipts. A one-year membership to BJ’s Wholesale Club is one of those simple upgrades that can make everyday shopping feel a little more manageable.
You can currently grab a Club Card Membership with BJ’s Easy Renewal for just $15 (reg. $60) through April 30, which opens the door to savings across groceries, household essentials, and even your weekend cookout prep.
Mashable Deals
Let’s start with the obvious, though. Gas prices. Members already get everyday savings at BJ’s Gas, but during this promo window, you’ll get an extra 15¢ off per gallon stacked on top of the usual 5¢ discount — bringing your total to 20¢ off per gallon through April 30.
Inside the club, it’s all about stretching your dollar further. BJ’s is known for offering competitive pricing on national brands, plus a wide selection of fresh produce, meats, bakery items, and deli favorites. Whether you’re planning a backyard BBQ, stocking up for a party, or just trying to cut down on weekly grocery runs, buying in bulk can help simplify things.
Mashable Trend Report
There’s also something to be said for convenience. Fewer trips to the store, more options in one place, and access to seasonal items that make spring and summer feel extra special.
Get a one-year Club Card Membership with BJ’s Easy Renewal® for just $15 (reg. $60) and enjoy an extra 15¢ off per gallon at any of the 199 BJ’s gas stations through April 30.
Grabbing this deal? Build your cart to $100+ and score a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2021 free with code GWP4MAC (for Mac) or GWP4WIND (for Windows) through April 19.
Gift with $100+ purchase promo ends April 19, 2026. Exclusions apply. Only one promo code applicable per order. Prices subject to change.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
This $43 bundle quietly upgrades your entire PC experience
TL;DR: This rare Microsoft bundle deal gives you a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows and Windows 11 Pro for only $42.97 (reg. $418.99) through May 17.
$42.97
$418.99
Save $376.02
Looking for an affordable way to make your old PC feel new again? If you don’t have the funds to buy a brand new computer, don’t worry. The Ultimate Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows lifetime license and Windows 11 Pro Bundle is the next best thing, offering your computer a total upgrade for only $42.97 through May 17.
Don’t count out your dusty old PC. This Microsoft bundle is here to give it a total facelift for less than $50. It kicks off with a lifetime license to some of the brand’s most popular tools — Microsoft Office, which you’ll pay for once and enjoy without any subscription fees.
Mashable Deals
You’ll get permanent access to a suite of eight helpful apps with Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows. It includes staples that have been around for decades, like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. You’ll also get newer favorites like Teams, OneNote, Access, and Publisher.
Once you’ve loaded the apps onto your device, you can upgrade your OS to Windows 11 Pro. It’s an operating system made for modern professionals, with tools that support your workflow. Enjoy a more powerful search experience, improved voice typing, a seamless interface, snap layouts, and much more.
You can rest easy knowing Windows 11 Pro takes your cybersecurity seriously. You’ll have biometric logins, encrypted authentication, and advanced antivirus defenses to keep your data secure.
Mashable Deals
Show your PC some love with the Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows and Windows 11 Pro bundle for only $42.97 (reg. $418.99) now until May 17.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
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