A new image from Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again reveals a first look at an animated Nick Daley. The Night at the Museum franchise began in 2006, when the first film starring Ben Stiller was released. The series followed Larry Daley (Stiller), who takes a job as a security guard at a museum where the artifacts come alive at night. The film was very successful and was followed by two sequels: Night at The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian and Night at The Museum Secret of the Tomb. The movies also included iconic performances from Robin Williams, who played a reanimated statue of Theodore Roosevelt, and Owen Wilson, who played a tiny cowboy.
In 2020, Disney announced the development of an animated reboot of the Night at the Museum franchise. Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again centers around Larry’s son, Nick Daley, who will follow in his father’s footsteps as a museum security guard working the night shift. However, his new gig is disturbed by the return of Kahmunrah, the antagonist of the franchise’s second installment, Night at The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. The animated movie is set to premiere on Disney+ next month.
Disney+ now releases a new image from the upcoming film, which includes an animated Nick beside a skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex. The image is reminiscent of a pivotal moment in the first Night at the Museum film, as Larry’s first encounter with a museum artifact come-to-life is a T. rex at the Museum of Natural History. It also maintains that the animated film might pick up shortly after where the final live-action film left off, as Nick still looks fairly young.
What To Expect From Disney+’s Night At The Museum
While the upcoming Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again is being released by the production company of franchise’s original director Shawn Levy, it is under new management following Disney’s acquisition of Fox. Therefore, the new Night at the Museum will likely introduce new concepts and characters, such as the already-confirmed Joan of Arc (voiced by Alice Isaaz). The animated spin-off also features fresh voices for old characters, including Joshua Bassett as Nick Daley and Joseph Kumal as Kahmunrah. Stiller won’t return to voice Larry; that character will instead be played by Zachary Levi.
The film’s rollout has received a mixed reaction from fans, as another Night at the Museum film will likely not be very revolutionary. Along with Stiller’s absence from the project, Kahmunrah Rises Again also takes on an animated approach, which makes the idea of artifacts coming to life a little less exciting. However, it is likely aiming to reach a younger audience with High School Mustical: The Musical: The Series star Bassett voicing the protagonist and its debut as an exclusive Disney+ release just in time for the holidays. With a completely new voice cast and approach, the film has some potential to succeed. Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again will be available to stream on December 9 on Disney+.
Source: Disney+/Twitter