Actor Brendan Fraser has signed a lucrative contract to star in the upcoming movie "Mummy 3".

However, the amount he is to be paid has not been disclosed, reports www.Hollywood.tv.

Co-star Rachel Weisz will not be returning this time around. She had been negotiating for her role but later had to drop out because of scheduling conflicts. So far, she has been tipped to appear in "The Brothers Bloom" and "Dirt Music".

The new film will take place in China and will feature Jet Li as a villain.

Currently, scriptwriters Miles Millar and Alfred Gough are finishing up the latest draft that will account for Weisz's absence from the film. As soon as the script is approved, Rob Cohen will direct in late summer, with Universal releasing the film in the summer of next year.