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Director Stephen Sommers made a conscious effort to steer the film toward fun, emphasizing that the audience’s enjoyment hinged on the belief in the film's reality. The meticulous integration of practical effects and CGI was vital in creating convincing, formidable monsters—designed to be sexy, dangerous, and believable all at once.
The Role of CGI and Practical Effects
The Mummy was produced during a time when CGI was still emerging as a practical storytelling tool. The filmmakers understood that subpar CGI could break the immersion, with seams and glitches pulling viewers out of the experience. To combat this, Stephen Sommers ensured that visual effects were executed at high standards through collaboration with Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and specialists like John Burton.