The Mummy

For the 2017 release of Universal’s The Mummy, Ultra Productions produced re-creations of multiple sarcophagi and costumes from the film. Utilizing the actual sarcophagus mold from production, Ultra’s arsenal of talented artists and fabricators dove headfirst into re-creating film accurate sarcophagi for SXSW and Saks Fifth Avenue.

As part of a storefront window display initiative for Saks Fifth Avenue in New York and Beverly Hills, the installations of the sarcophagus required a creative solution to fit a spatially challenged environment.

Ultra approached the mission from a unique angle: If the sarcophagus could be split in half, it just might work! Relying on their creative instincts, Ultra embraced a key scene in the film where the sarcophagus is hoisted from a pool of mercury. By incorporating this visual into the build with a light up mercury pool base, Ultra was able to create the illusion that the sarcophagus was full size, with the below the waist portion “emerging” from the pool. With this perfect blend of artistic design and practical thinking, the sarcophagus was able to fabricated in two halves for the interior of the storefront windows, coming together once inside – Magic!

The next step was re-creating one of the costumes from the film to be featured in Saks’ storefront window displays. Ultra’s costume artists re-created The Mummy wrap costumes with exotic fabrics and creative aging techniques, based on productions stills from the film. An underneath “skin” was placed on the mannequins, serving as a canvas for the character’s tattooed Egyptian runes – each meticulously painted by hand – to complete the look from the film.

Transportation and setup of these assets across the country was no small feat, and Ultra was there hand holding intricate parts of the process, as well as logistics to Austin, New York, and Beverly Hills. From costume and prop re-creation and fabrication to art direction and tackling spatial and logistical challenges, Ultra once again proves we are the ultimate creative problem solvers of all things – Big or small!