Jim Carrey cemented his status as a comedy icon with some unforgettable roles in the ’90s. One of the most memorable ones was as pet detective Ace Ventura, whom Carrey played in the original movie featuring the character and its successful sequel. And now, according to sources close to WGTC – the same ones who told us Bill Murray was returning for Ghostbusters 3 and that a Scream reboot was in development, both of which have since been confirmed – the actor may be reprising the titular role for Ace Ventura 3.
Morgan Creek Productions produced and released the first two films in collaboration with Warner Bros. and the same production houses are said to be discussing the possibility of doing a second sequel, while Carrey himself has reportedly expressed interest in reprising the character for a third time. That being said, the actor has always shown a reluctance to portray the same roles more than once and from what we’re told, nothing is set in stone just yet. At this stage, there are only talks to do a third film in the series and again, Carrey is said to be, at the very least, interested in the idea.
While the Hollywood star’s participation in the franchise ended with the sequel When Nature Calls, the fictional character tried to chug along without him, first with an animated TV show which lasted three seasons and then a direct-to-video sequel featuring his son. Neither of those projects were particularly memorable though and it’s difficult to imagine another movie sequel to Ace Ventura with a different actor, as few would be able to match up to Carrey’s frenzied physical comedy feats while also striking a balance with the more grounded, heartfelt moments in the way only he can pull off. It’s also unclear if the film would still move ahead without his involvement.
In any case, there appears to be a great deal of interest lately among studios to have Jim Carrey reprise his most iconic past roles in present times, which just goes to prove that despite falling off the Hollywood radar for a while, the funnyman is still very much viewed as a bankable star with a large, global audience. And having him return for Ace Ventura 3 would no doubt please many, many people. For now, though, we’ll just have to wait and see how this one develops and if they can indeed lure the actor back for more.
