Brendan Fraser who reprises the role of Rick O’Connell in the upcoming third Mummy movie, told reporters he is pleased to have new lead Maria Bello to play Evelyn O’Connell, because it “adds interest” to the set.
Rachel Weisz who has won an Oscar and had a baby since the last Mummy movie, turned down the opportunity to complete the trilogy as Evie in The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor and was replaced by Bello.
The third installment of the hit Mummy franchise finds Fraser’s O’Connell, Bello’s Evie and their grown son, Alex (Luke Ford), in China, where they encounter the resurrected first Emperor of Qin (Jet Li), a shape-shifting entity who was cursed by a wizard (Michelle Yeoh) centuries earlier.

And Fraser has praised the 40-year-old Bello (A History of Violence) for bringing new energy to the film franchise.
He says, “The show must go on and to work with Maria is a new experience that adds interest to the role. “We needed someone for the part. We didnâ??t want to change the storyline where we start at a tombstone laying flowers at her grave. I donâ??t want to give the joke away but I can promise you a brand new Evie.”
Recently divorcing Fraser, once reportedly dated Weisz and is now reportedly romantically linked to Bello.  An insider told the National Enquirer, “Brendan and Maria became tight because the shoot in China was challenging and Maria was a friendly face. They had chemistry for sure. It lit up the set, and everyone commented on it.”

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