Jim Carrey fans will no doubt have fond memories of 1994’s madcap comedy The Mask, which saw the beloved actor at the height of his fame playing lowly everyman Stanley Ipkiss, who turns into a green-faced live-action cartoon character when he puts on a mystical mask. While it was a pretty big hit at the time, and stills holds up to this day, the franchise has gone quiet ever since 2005’s less than impressive sequel Son of Mask.
The film, starring Jamie Kennedy, flopped hard and many thought that was it for the property. But in recent months, talk of another Mask movie has been heating up. First, we heard that a female-led spinoff/remake was on the table, while just a few days ago, news broke that a bonafide sequel with Jim Carrey returning was also in development.
And while the studio has yet to issue an official comment on either project, we’re hearing from our sources today – the same ones who said a Joker sequel was in the works and that a Scream reboot is happening, both of which have since been confirmed – that when it comes to the former pic, Avengers: Endgame star Karen Gillan is being eyed to star as the female Mask. She’s one of several names on a wishlist apparently, but it’s unclear if she’s been formally contacted yet.
From what we understand, both projects – the Carrey one and the one Gillan’s being eyed for – will be connected, with the two films set in the same world. Details beyond that remain hazy, but it seems like some kind of cinematic universe may be being built here, with Warner Bros. perhaps eager to resurrect the property in a big way. Though how exactly the two pics will feed into one another is still unknown.
In any case, given that R-rated comic book movies are becoming pretty hot in Hollywood these days, it seems like a great time to bring The Mask back to theaters and maybe even make it a bit darker than before, more like the comics it’s based on. In the current cinematic climate, a more mature take on the series could certainly work and as soon as we learn additional details about what the studio’s planning, we’ll be sure to let you know.
