Director Rob Cohen has criticized British actress Rachel Weisz for refusing to return for the third installment of The Mummy trilogy. The 37-year-old shot to international stardom after appearing in 1999's original movie The Mummy.

And, despite appearing in 2001 follow-up The Mummy Returns, she turned down a role in the forthcoming sequel The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - blaming the location for her decision. Her representative insisted the actress didn't feel comfortable spending five months shooting in China as her son Henry is not yet two years old. But the film's director Cohen claims she actually turned down the part because movie bosses had made her character too old.

He tells Britain's Heat magazine, "I got a very angry phone from her agent, saying she'll never play the mother of a 21-year-old. I said, 'OK, good, fine, bye.'" Weisz has been replaced by Maria Bello in The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor, which is due for release later this year.

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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)