Universal films set the standard with revolutionary makeup, mood-altering cinematography, and groundbreaking special effects.

Following the box office successes of Dracula and Frankenstein, Universal commissioned a new monster movie inspired by the media sensation caused by the opening of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922 and the “Curse of the Pharaohs.” Since, unlike with Dracula and Frankenstein, there was no literary source material, there were a number of iterations before they got there.