‘The Mummy’: Sofia Boutella On Why Princess Ahmanet Licks Tom Cruise

Universal Pictures’ Dark Universe will kick off when The Mummy hits theaters this week and pits Tom Cruise’s Nick Morton against the powerful Princess Ahmanet. During one the showdowns between both characters, Ahmanet makes the decision to lick Morton, slowly moving her tongue up his cheek. In an interview with USA Today, star Sofia Boutella and director Alex Kurtzman shared behind the scenes stories on how the unusual moment came to be.

Boutella explained why Ahmanet felt the need to lick Morton during the scene:

“It’s destabilizing. It comes out of nowhere. That’s how Ahmanet treats things. She owns stuff. She owns people.”

Kurtzman explained why he felt the need to include the moment in the sequence:

“You’re always looking for moments that are spontaneous and different and interesting and frankly weird. I had this strong instinct that there needed to be a laugh at a very weird moment. And I said, ‘I think you have to lick his face.’ And she did.”

Boutella revealed that both she and Tom Cruise had a good time filming the scene:

“It was fun. Honestly, we had such a good giggle. We laughed about it.”

Are you excited to see Tom Cruise take on The Mummy? Share your thoughts below!

Thought safely entombed in a tomb deep beneath the unforgiving desert, an ancient princess whose destiny was unjustly taken from her is awakened in our current day, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia and terrors that defy human comprehension. From the sweeping sands of the Middle East through hidden labyrinths under modern-day London, The Mummy brings a surprising intensity and balance of wonder and thrills in an imaginative new take that ushers in a new world of gods and monsters.

Directed by Alex Kurtzman, the film stars Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella, Annabelle Wallis, Jake Johnson, Courtney B. Vance, and Russell Crowe.

The Mummy will be released in theaters on June 9, 2017.

Source: USA Today