Like how the headgear itself was trapped in a trunk for a thousand years at the beginning of the first movie, The Mask franchise has laid dormant for a long time, but it looks like it’s finally about to awaken. We know Warner Bros. is dusting off the character for a cameo in Space Jam 2, with Jim Carrey likely voicing the part. What’s more, this is probably a test run for a fully-fledged Mask 2, which would bring back Carrey as Stanley Ipkiss in the flesh for a belated sequel.
But would a follow-up to the 1994 original all these years later work? Perhaps, and co-creator Mike Richardson has previously teased that the studio is working on something darker, a concept that could gain extra traction now that DC’s Joker performed so well last year. Given that, the awesome fan-made trailer up above imagines a grimdark version of The Mask 2 which swaps the first film’s slapstick comedy for psychological thrills.
Making use of footage from Carrey’s latter-day dramatic roles, as well as Sarah Paulson’s character in 2019’s Glass, the video pitches a storyline involving an older Ipkiss locked in an institution, after years of wearing the mystical Norse mask has left his mind fractured. He later escapes, though, and lets loose a reign of violent terror on the streets of Edge City.
This would be a far cry from the hit 90s flick, but it certainly would be more authentic to the original comics from Dark Horse. But would WB be brave enough to go in such a revolutionary new direction with it? Well, if they want Carrey back, they may have to. The star has said he’d only consider playing the part again if a filmmaker with a fresh new vision was behind the project.
Of course, Warner Bros. has yet to officially announce anything in regards to The Mask 2, but all the pieces seem to be falling slowly into place and we imagine that once Space Jam 2 is out and the studio sees how people react to Carrey’s cameo, they’ll set things in motion for a full-fledged sequel.
