We’ve lived through both a sequel and a prequel to Stephen Sommers’ The Mummy, with another sequel on the way and making lots of news this year about the cast. But it looks like the franchise is expanding even farther, with a sequel to The Scorpion King forthcoming as well.

The Scorpion King was a prequel to the Mummy movies, focusing on the character of the Scorpion King from The Mummy Returns. The character was played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (back when he was still just “The Rock”) who appeared mostly as a CG creation in The Mummy Returns and as a warrior on par with a Schwarzenegger creation in The Scorpion King.

There’s no word on whether Johnson will be back for a Scorpion King sequel, but a director has been appointed. Shock Till You Drop is reporting that Russell Mulcahy is coming off of Resident Evil: Extinction directly to direct The Scorpion King 2.

Without The Rock, I can’t imagine this picture going much farther than straight-to-video, but with Mulcahy attached, that changes. Despite some television work (and the horrid Highlander II: The Quickening), the Australian director isn’t exactly a name you’d hire for a throw away picture. With a third Mummy movie in development as well, Universal is certainly positioning itself for quite the franchise blitz.