A Classic Jim Carrey Comedy Was Originally Envisioned As A Horror Movie

Chuck Russell’s 1994 supernatural comedy “The Mask” was based on an ultra-violent character that first appeared in Dark Horse Comics in 1987. In the comics, a magical mask gives the wearer supernatural powers, as well as an outsized, mutated head with green skin and tombstone-like teeth. The mask also robs the wearer of their inhibitions and morality, making them insane, invincible clowns. At best, the comic book version of the Mask is a violent antihero, and he exists in a genre more akin to horror than to traditional superheroism. 

Russell’s film sanded down the edges a bit. The PG-13-rated movie featured a meek and weak-willed character named Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carrey) who was transformed into a confident, flirty, brash cartoon character when he donned an enchanted mask. He did commit acts of violence (the masked Stanley is particularly cruel to a pair of mechanics that ripped him off), but Stanley ultimately learns to be a more confident, outgoing person, even becoming something of a crimefighter by the end. Only already evil people continue to be evil under the mask’s influence. “The Mask” was a comedy hit, grossing over $350 million on an $18 million budget, and thrusting Jim Carrey onto the Hollywood A-list.

It seems that early in the production of “The Mask,” however, the film cleaved far closer to the horrific tone of the comics. Russell was already experienced with horror filmmaking, having made “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors” in 1987 and the remake of “The Blob” in 1988, and he was prepared to make a much gorier movie version of “The Mask” for New Line Cinema. In a recent interview with Variety, though, Russell said that the movie’s horror and violence were toned down in later drafts because the main character too closely resembled Freddy Krueger. 

Russell also noted that he had to alter the movie when he discovered Jim Carrey. He recalled the inception of the project, saying: 

“I’d directed ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street 3’ and made friends at New Line. Then I did ‘The Blob’ and New Line wanted another shocking horror film. There was a comic book of ‘The Mask’ that was quite terrifying. I said its going to be too much like Freddy Krueger. It’s going to be horrible. But there’s this guy named Jim Carrey who has just come out in ‘In Living Color.'”

“In Living Color,” for those who may not recall, was Keenan Ivory Wayans’ hit sketch comedy series that debuted on Fox in 1990. Carrey was a member of the original ensemble and had received a lot of attention and acclaim. As a comedian, Carrey was known for his extreme physicality, contorting his body and face in new and creative ways. Russell knew that, with a rubbery actor like that, he would have to change courses with “The Mask.” It would be better to exploit Carrey’s talents to their fullest. So the main character went from being a sarcastic, violent murderer into a wild cartoon man. Russell continued: 

“It was the only time in my career when it was very hard to explain to others what was the potential with this particular actor. […] He was a one-man inspiration. I got the script to the point where it lived and breathed Jim Carrey.”

The final screenplay, credited to Mike Werb, looked and felt more like a Tex Avery cartoon than “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” Carrey brought his signature body and facial contortion, and a new type of film character was born. It was the right decision. 

Carrey wasn’t yet a known quantity in 1994, and his co-star, Cameron Diaz, was making her big screen debut, so Russell was not granted an enormous budget to work with. The only place Russell was allowed to get spendy was the film’s extensive digital effects … which Russell didn’t necessarily like. As such, he tried to make the rest of the film look as grounded as possible. He shot on actual locations for every scene but one. Russell noted: 

“I took the concept of an independent, low budget film. Everything in ‘The Mask’ is a normal location. The only stage set in the whole movie was a small bedroom, because I had to trash it. […] It was the fun of independent films is and the spirit of a team that’s us against the world. We’re going to make a movie at a certain budget and put all the money on the screen.” 

Russell noted that, because “The Mask” was a comparatively low-budget affair, the digital effect company, Industrial Light and Magic, could only afford to send their “worst team” to work on it. It seems, though, that even the worst team was turning out A-material. Russell recalls with amusement the visits he received on set from some of the higher-ups on ILM. It seems everyone was impressed. “The Mask” ended up being nominated for Best Special Effects at the Academy Awards. It lost to “Forrest Gump.” 

Russell noted that his film was so successful, it altered the way the Dark Horse comics were drawn. The on-page character was drawn to more closely resemble Jim Carrey. The books were, however, still amazingly violent.