The film stars Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson as the lead, with Steven Brand, Kelly Hu, Grant Heslov, and Michael Clarke Duncan in supporting roles.

The Akkadians sneak into Memnon's camp but are ambushed by guards, who were warned by Pheron's own son, Takmet, who had already betrayed and killed his father.

The production of The Scorpion King began as a spin-off of The Mummy Returns (2001), centering on the character Mathayus, portrayed by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

Recognizing the character's popularity, Universal Pictures decided to develop an origin story set in a distinct historical era, aiming to expand The Mummy franchise.

Recognizing Johnson's global popularity as a professional wrestler, the studio adopted an international release strategy, launching the film simultaneously in 11 overseas markets.

[18] The film inspired two video games: The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadian for the Nintendo GameCube and the PlayStation 2, which was a prequel to the film's events, and a sequel, The Scorpion King: Sword of Osiris, for the Game Boy Advance, in which Cassandra is abducted by the ruthless sorcerer Menthu and his lackey, the witch Isis (not to be confused with Queen Isis from the film), prompting Mathayus to undergo a quest to uncover the legendary Sword of Osiris to defeat Menthu and Isis and rescue Cassandra.

The Scorpion King grossed $12,553,380 on its opening day and $36,075,875 in total over the weekend, from 3,444 theaters for an average of $10,475 per venue, ranking at #1 at the box office.

It has high energy, the action never stops, the dialogue knows it's funny, and The Rock has the authority to play the role and the fortitude to keep a straight face.

"[24] James Berardinelli of ReelViews gave the film two stars (out of four), saying: "It's possible to make an engaging action/adventure picture of this sort, but The Scorpion King isn't it.

"[25] Dennis Harvey of Variety gave a positive review, saying the film "rouses excitement mostly from stuntwork and [actors'] agility rather than CGI excess.

Club gave the film a mildly positive review, calling it "prototypical summer-movie fare, designed to be consumed, enjoyed, and forgotten all at once.

"[27] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a score of C+, calling it "plodding and obvious" but adding that The Rock "holds it together.

"[28] Jonathan Foreman of the New York Post gave a negative review, saying that The Scorpion King "has none of the qualities—epic sweep, relative originality and heartfelt bloodthirstiness—that made Conan so trashily entertaining.

[30] The character Mathayus, played by Dwayne Johnson, is loosely inspired by King Scorpion, a ruler from ancient Egypt's Predynastic Period.

[30] In the film, Mathayus is depicted as an Akkadian assassin tasked with defeating Memnon, a tyrant attempting to control the fragmented tribes of Egypt.

While ancient Egyptian rulers are known to have consulted oracles, Cassandra's supernatural abilities were created to enhance the film's fantasy elements.

[32] Modern elements, such as bikini waxing for characters, were included to enhance aesthetics, aligning with some ancient Egyptian grooming practices.

Egyptians often wore transparent clothing suited to the climate and removed body hair using methods such as plucking, though specific details remain uncertain.

A spokesperson for Universal Pictures clarified that the film's story was unrelated to the historical King Scorpion or archaeological discoveries.

A direct-to-video prequel, The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior, was released in 2008 with Michael Copon as Mathayus and Randy Couture as Sargon.

Webster reprised his role, while Michael Biehn, Rutger Hauer, Lou Ferrigno, and former WWE wrestler Eve Torres joined the cast.

Jonathan Herman will serve as screenwriter, with the plot taking place in the modern-day, involving a contemporary adaptation of the Mathayus of Akkad / Scorpion King character.