"The Mummy 3" takes place in what year?

“The Mummy 3” takes place in 1947. The film’s full title is The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, and its modern-day adventure begins after World War II, when archaeologist Alex O’Connell discovers the resurrected Dragon Emperor in China.

The setting marks a major change from the first two Mummy films, which focused mainly on ancient Egypt and the Medjai warrior Rick O’Connell. The third film moves the action to China and builds its mythology around Qin Shi Huang, the historical first emperor of a unified China, and the real Terracotta Army buried near Xi’an.

A common mix-up comes from the film’s development history. An early version of the screenplay was set in 1940, during World War II, with Rick and Evelyn working as British spies. That version was revised, and the released film is set in 1947. The movie premiered in 2008, but that is its release year, not the year in which its story occurs.