The ‘90s weren’t exactly the best time for comic book movies. But in 1994, Jim Carrey delivered one of the most memorable performances of his career in The Mask, a very loose adaptation of the Dark Horse comic book of the same name. Although the film was well received and earned Carrey his first-ever Golden Globe nomination, he declined to return for a sequel. However, he recently indicated that he’d potentially be up for playing Stanley Ipkiss once again.
While speaking with ComicBook.com about his upcoming role in Sonic the Hedgehog, Carrey was asked about a possible Mask sequel. Surprisingly, he didn’t immediately shoot down the idea. But he also insisted that it all depends on who’s sitting in the director’s chair.
“I don’t think in terms of sequels and stuff like that, I mean, this one [Sonic The Hedgehog] is kind of right for it because we have not evolved the character [Dr. Eggman] fully yet,” said Carrey. “The Mask I think, myself, you know, it would depend on a filmmaker. It depends on a filmmaker really. I don’t want to do it just to do it. But I would only do it if it was some crazy visionary filmmaker. Sure.”
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Back in 1995, Carrey told Barbara Walters that he rejected a $10 million offer to star in a Mask sequel. He explained that after making Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, he decided to stop reprising any earlier roles because it wasn’t challenging enough as an actor. Carrey wound up breaking this promise when he starred in Dumb and Dumber To in 2014. Nintendo Power also famously held a contest in the mid-’90s for a walk-on role in a Mask sequel when Carrey was still expected to appear. When this didn’t pan out, the winner was given cash and other assorted merchandise instead.
In the end, New Line did produce a Mask sequel in the form of Son of the Mask, which starred Jamie Kennedy. That film was torn apart by critics and bombed at the box office when it opened in 2005.
Would you like to see Jim Carrey reprise his role in a Mask sequel? What “visionary filmmaker” would you choose to direct it? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: The Mask Omnibus Volume 1 (Second Edition)
