All 90s kids grew up with this incredible action comedy, but they could have made a completely different movie.

If you grew up in the ’90s, there’s a good chance that green-faced Jim Carrey’s eccentricity is etched in your earliest memories of watching it.

Signed by Chuck Russell in 1994, at a time when the famous comic was not yet known internationally, The Mask immediately established itself as a minor classic and instantly catapulted Jim Carrey to worldwide stardom.

Totally detached, full of extravagance and sometimes allowing itself some daring deviations, this “splendid” action comedy managed to adopt a general public or even family tone, especially thanks to its cartoonish side.

• Without Jim Carrey, this iconic 90s film would never have been as successful

“That would be terrible.”

However, as its director recently announced at the International Film Festival of India in Goa (variety)The Mask should have taken a completely different path from the beginning.

“I made Nightclaw 3 and made friends at New Line”explained the film director. “Then I did The Blob and New Line wanted another shocking horror movie, there was the comic book The Mask, which was pretty terrifying.

I said that Freddy would be very close to Kruger. That would be terrible. But there was this guy named Jim Carrey (…)“.

Convinced that the comic genius of this young Canadian actor would become the main asset of his new film, Chuck Russell did his best to make the mask a fitting suit for Jim Carrey, significantly moving away from the gruesome excesses and gory sequences. Original material.

“It was one man’s inspiration”

“This is the one and only time in my career that I’ve had trouble explaining to others what potential a particular actor had.”– says the director.

“It was a one-man inspiration. I rewrote the script to where he lived and breathed Jim Carrey. After reading it, he said to me, ‘If I do this, I’m going to keep doing this character in grocery stores.’ Open until 80.”

When it was released in theaters, The Mask immediately gained public support, was crowned a true commercial success (with a small budget) and marked the true beginning of a legendary career for its lead actor.

What is your favorite Jim Carrey movie?

(Re)discover all the hidden details of ‘The Mask’…