Veronica Falcón has built a career on fearless acting choices, but with Lee Cronin’s “The Mummy,” the Mexican star enters a darker, more haunting realm. In Lee Cronin’s twisted reimagining of the classic monster story, Falcón plays Carmen, a grandmother pulled into a supernatural nightmare after a missing child returns to her family under terrifying circumstances.
For the acclaimed Latina actress, known for scene-stealing performances in “Queen of the South,” “Ozark,” and “Perry Mason”, stepping into the world of horror was less about confronting fear and more about embracing artistry.
© Getty Images“The mummy is such an iconic monster,” Falcón tells HOLA! “I’m a fan from the ‘The Mummy’ era with Boris Karloff all the way to the adventure versions people know today. But the real draw was Lee Cronin. His imagination is insane. He’s daring and simply very, very good at what he does.”
Fresh off the success of “Evil Dead Rise,” writer-director Lee Cronin delivers a radically different vision of “The Mummy.” On this occasion, the twisted film is centered on family trauma, grief, and psychological terror. For Falcón, working with Cronin — along with producers including James Wan — was part masterclass, part creative playground.
“You cannot aspire to do a film with better people,” she says. “Working with artists at that level always teaches you something.”
© Warner Bros. PicturesVeronica Falcón Says Grief Grounds the Horror
While the film leans into visceral scares, Falcón says its emotional core is what elevates it. Her character carries the weight of generational pain, and she credits the script’s precision for grounding those emotions.
“The script was so well crafted,” she says. “Lee is incredibly precise. He knows the movie he has in his head, but he also gives actors freedom. That combination is very rare.”
© Warner Bros. Pictures,That balance allowed Falcón to lean into instinct, something she says is essential in horror. “You prep hard, but then you have to trust your instinct and trust the hand of your director.” That trust became especially important during the physically demanding transformation of her character.
The Wild Prosthetics Transformation Behind ‘The Mummy’
One of the film’s most surprising reveals is that Falcón underwent extensive aging makeup and prosthetics to portray Carmen, beginning the film as a woman 15 years older than she is in real life. “One of the first questions Lee asked was, ‘Are you okay if we age you?’ Of course, I was okay,” she tells HOLA! “It was liberating,” she assured.
For an actor with deep roots in theater, the transformation was exhilarating. “I love becoming physically different for a role. I feel like a kid.”
The process, however, was no small feat. Prosthetic teeth altered her speech, making her performance complex, especially while speaking in English. “My whole mouth was not mine,” she says. “I’m performing in a second language with new teeth. That required work.”
And as the horror intensifies, so do the effects. “The prosthetics department was insane. Blood, aging makeup, hair work, all of it was incredibly technical. It takes everybody being on the same page,” the star explains.
Why Horror Has a New Meaning for Veronica Falcón
Though audiences often associate Falcón with prestige dramas, she has long admired horror’s artistry. “I always loved psychological horror. ‘The Shining’ is one of the best movies ever made,” she says.
She also cites international influences, including the work of Dario Argento and Japanese horror classics, as part of what drew her deeper into the genre. “What I love is the visual plasticity of horror. When it’s well done, it can be striking,” she says.
© Getty Images for Warner Bros. PiStill, she insists the fear on screen only works when actors fully surrender. “I have to believe it. If I don’t believe it, nobody else will,” Veronica assures. That immersion meant no moment on set ever felt “too intense.”
“I’m a very intense person by nature,” she says. “You have to be present. The rest just happens.” Her acting process, she explains, starts with script analysis, deep character prep, and then total release. “The most important thing for me is to let all that go and just trust my instinct and trust the work,” the star explains.
Could ‘The Mummy’ Become a New Latino Horror Icon?
One of the most fascinating turns in the conversation came when Falcón reflected on the film through a Latin American lens, invoking folklore figures deeply rooted in the culture. “In Mexico, we have so many stories with the dead,” she says, referencing legends like La Llorona and even the famous mummies of Guanajuato.
Those cultural echoes, she suggests, give the film another layer of resonance for Latino audiences. “I certainly hope this can be our next horror icon,” she says. “Everybody understands family. Everybody understands protecting your loved ones.”
And beneath the supernatural terror, she says, that universality is what makes the story work: “It’s about how light should help you with darkness. And we all want the good guys to win.” That emotional thread may be what sets Lee Cronin’s “The Mummy” apart from earlier incarnations. Yes, there are creatures, shocks, and nightmare fuel, but there is also grief and ancestry.
With a cast led by Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, and Falcón, the film arrives as one of 2026’s most anticipated horror releases. And if Falcón has her way, audiences should not come alone. “Go with a lot of friends,” she says. “And be ready to scream and be scared.”
Lee Cronin’s “The Mummy” is in theaters and IMAX now!
