Is There a Gap in the Market for More Ancient Egyptian Horror Films?
Ancient Egypt is one of the most fascinating periods of human history, and there’s still so much mystery about that era. It has been prominent in film and entertainment, as creators know that there’s a huge audience out there for pyramid-set content.
The Mummy is one of the most iconic horror movies of all time, and there have been a few adaptations of the 1932 film. However, there haven’t been many other horror films that use the period as inspiration. Is there a gap in the market for more Egyptian content in the horror genre?
Some of the Most Legendary Movies of All Time Use Egyptian Themes
Ancient Egypt has had a massive impact on popular culture, with The Mummy regarded as one of the most influential movies of all time. Cleopatra is also up there with the best pictures ever, and the effect of both can be seen throughout the entertainment industry. They have led to numerous remakes in cinema, along with countless offerings in gaming and on television.
Cleopatra has been used in many games, including Pharaoh + on Stream and Mega Jackpots Mistress of Egypt at PlayStar. The latter is one of many titles on the NJ casino online appto feature the ruler or ancient Egyptian themes, highlighting how huge the audience is for that period. With Egypt being so popular, it seems strange that it hasn’t inspired more horror films.
Last Ancient Egyptian Horror Was the Pyramid
The Mummy in 2017 doesn’t fall into the horror category, so the Pyramid would be the latest well-known scary movie set in ancient Egypt. This was a found footage offering from Grégory Levasseur, released by 20th Century Fox. The 2014 film follows a group of explorers who discover a pyramid underground. As you may expect, they are picked off one by one by various creatures buried in the deep.
The Pyramid was slated by critics and only managed to earn $16.9 million at the box office. There are various reasons for the poor performance, and it could be argued that the production company didn’t invest enough into the straight-to-DVD offering’s development. Still, the concept of ancient evil among the remains of a millennia-old civilization is one that could easily be detailed in other horror offerings.
Plenty for Filmmakers to Explore
The ideas that filmmakers could explore when it comes to ancient Egyptian horror are endless. Aside from remaking the Mummy or perhaps creating a horror imagining of Cleopatra, there are multitudes of other topics that could bring chills to viewers.
For instance, many of the gods that Egyptians worshipped were beast-and-human hybrids, which would look great in cinema. Ancient Egypt lasted for more than 3,000 years, meaning that there are various periods that horror directors could seek to take advantage of as well.
With ancient Egypt being so prevalent across entertainment, it stands to reason that there should be more horror movies that use it as inspiration. Unfortunately, the Pyramid wasn’t worthy and horror fans deserve something better.
