The Mummy Who Would Be King

A tale of the posthumous adventures of a long-lost Pharaoh.

He may not have been the most illustrious pharaoh, but in death Ramesses I may have travelled farther than any other Egyptian king. In 1999, Emory University acquired a collection of Egyptian artifacts from the Niagara Falls Museum. Among them was a mummy, which had been purchased in Egypt in 1860, and placed on display on for more than a century. Over the years, a few individuals had noticed that the mummy bore a striking resemblance to Egypt’s ancient kings. A series of tantalizing clues would eventually convince researchers at Emory University to acquire the mummy and uncover his lost identity.

When we embarked on this production, the investigation was still in progress. It was a thrill to record the evidence as it came together to reveal the mummy’s royal name. The New York Daily news called The Mummy Who Would Be King, “the ultimate crossover episode of CSI and Cold Case.”

Produced for WGBH NOVA (PBS).

• Emmy© for Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Writing, for Gail Willumsen

• Prix spécial du jury, 7th International Festival of Archaeological Films, Brussels

• Special Jury Prix, Beijing International Scientific Film Festival

• Best Script, The Archaeology Channel International Film and Video Festival (plus Honorable Mentions for 'Best Film', 'Best Narration', 'Most Inspirational')

• Official Selection for Vedere La Scienza Film Festival, Milan