It may have been the most impressive video launch party in history. Ancient history, that is.
On Wednesday, Universal Pictures Home Video literally altered the Santa Monica landscape, turning 16,000 square feet of beach into a massive Egyptian archeological dig–open to the public–to promote the video/DVD release of The Mummy Returns.
Buried somewhere on the beach were the keys to a 2002 Volkswagon Beetle, and only one lucky digger would score the prize.
Who was it? 18-year-old Mike Sandoval, a student at Santa Monica College.
But the Volkswagon scavenger hunt wasn’t the only notable spectacle at the launch party. Passersby got an eyeful of Mummy-inspired sights, including a giant Egyptian gateway, costumed acrobats, special-effects displays and much more.
And Universal didn’t stop there. They delivered a quick one-two punch as the festivities kicked off, bringing out Mummy Returns stars The Rock and Arnold Vosloo to energize the crowd.
Ultimately, though, the event wasn’t all fun and games: many participants in the archeological dig contributed to the 911 Relief Fund, established by the Entertainment Industry Foundation to benefit the NYC relief efforts.
The Mummy Returns video and DVD–starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz–hit stores on Oct. 2.
Check out photos from the event!
Click here to buy the DVD.
