UC Santa Barbara

Films like Stargate and The Mummy reflect deep and long-held Orientalizing notions about the nature of ancient Egyptian civilization. Popular media like films are deliberately designed to appeal to modern audiences, adapting historical contexts and imagery to suit contemporary beliefs and concerns, some of which have a long and fraught history. On the one hand, these films depict alternative views of ancient Egypt that often dip into hyperreality, on the other they could be condemned as distorting the past and reinforcing Egyptological and archaeological stereotypes. Placing them in the context of their produc­tion, considering the diversity and deliberate messaging of their directors, producers, crew, and cast, complicates the nature of their reception, in some cases exacerbating and in others mitigating their negative impacts while creatively exploring an alternate reality drawn from ancient Egypt. Moser points out that the ways in which representations of ancient Egypt are incorporated into popular culture shape understandings of ancient worlds like Egypt but are placed in dialog not only with contemporary academic treatments but also previous traditions of reception. This paper will explore this dynamic through a comparison between the reception of ancient Egypt in Stargate and The Mummy, drawing upon insights from the behind the scenes dynamics of the production of the films to better understand the motivations behind their creation that can help clarify their messaging and popular impacts.