As it turns 30, Hasitha Fernando looks at the story behind The Mask…
Move over Deadpool, ‘cos here comes the fourth-wall breakin’, pop culture referencin’ dark humor spoutin’ OG of comic book movies – The Mask. Released in 1994 this zany superhero film chock full of quotable one-liners not only cemented Jim Carrey’s status as a major Hollywood leading man, but also introduced audiences to the gorgeous and uber-talented Cameron Diaz. As it celebrates its 30th anniversary we look back at the flick’s behind-the-scenes story and then some. So, hold on Sugar! Daddy’s got a sweet tooth tonight!
The Mask started out as a horror movie before shifting to a more family friendly approach
The bare bones concept of The Mask was created by Mike Richardson back in 1982 before seeing life as a sketch drawn by Richardson for an amateur press publication called APA-5 created by writer Mark Verheiden. After founding Dark Horse Comics, Richardson pitched his concept to Marvel Comics writer and artist Mark Badger. The pair teamed up to give the Masque comic-strip which ran till 1989 after which Richardson revamped the concept and character design with artist Chris Warner. Up-and-coming talents John Arcudi and Doug Mahnke later joined the initiative to craft the new adventures of the character which had now become “a combination of Tex Avery and The Terminator”.
Richardson and executive vice president of Dark Horse Comics Todd Moyer first approached New Line Cinema in 1989 with the hopes of giving their IP the big screen treatment. The project was stalled several times over the next few years until it landed A Nightmare on Elm Street 3’s Chuck Russell to direct the gig. New Line Cinema’s original intention was to make The Mask their next new horror franchise but Russell found the violence in the comic to be off-putting, opting to go for a more family friendly approach.
A wild romantic comedy was just what the doctor ordered
After director Chuck Russell decided on the direction he wished to take the fledgling project he sought the ideal writing partner to bring his vision to life. Enter Mark Werb, future scribe of John Woo’s Face/Off, who vibed perfectly with Russell’s requirement and churned out his first draft in a matter of weeks. Russell tapped the writer after reading his script for Curious George which he did for Imagine Entertainment. In less than two months the project was green-lit by the studio and writer Mark Verheiden was brought on board for a script polish to add more fourth-wall breaking humor and darker content.
Matthew Broderick, Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, and Martin Short were all considered for the lead role
When you look back at The Mask and the outrageously manic energy Jim Carrey brought to the lead role, one cannot think of anyone more perfect for the job than the rubber faced comedian. But back when casting for the movie was taking place Jim Carrey had not become a household name yet. New Line Cinema’s first choice for Stanley Ipkiss/The Mask was none other than Ferris Bueller himself – Matthew Broderick. The actor was still riding the popularity he gained back in the 1980s but didn’t show much interest in the role. The director Chuck Russell had his own top preference and it was none other than comedy legend Steve Martin. Honey I Shrunk the Kids’ Rick Moranis was the top pick of screenwriter Mark Werb and the producer, Bob Engelman, preferred Martin Short. But after watching a few clips of Jim Carrey’s performances on In Living Color, they all unanimously decided that Carrey was the right man for the job.
Cameron Diaz made her big screen debut in the mask
Cameron Diaz was a relative unknown with no previous acting experience when she auditioned for the lead role of sultry jazz singer Tina Carlyle at the age of 21. The producers had their eyes set on Anna Nicole Smith but reversed their decision when they met Diaz at a modeling agency. Nevertheless, they did make her audition 12 times for the part, only casting her a mere week before shooing began. New Line Cinema wasn’t too pleased by the pick but the producers and director Chuck Russell were adamant that Diaz was the actress they were looking for… and thus a bona fide star was born. Others considered for the role include the likes of Christina Applegate, Laura Dern, Alyss Milano, Gwyneth Paltrow, Winona Ryder, Uma Thurman, Robin Wright, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Vanessa Williams.
The producers got lucky when they nabbed Jim Carrey
1994 was one helluva year for Jim Carrey. The February of that year saw the actor break into the Hollywood scene in a big way with the rip-roaring comedy classic Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. The movie’s massive success catapulted the performer into super stardom, so much so that Morgan Creek offered Carrey a hefty $5 million to reprise his iconic role in its sequel. The Mask went into production before Carrey hit big with Ace Ventura so the actor was paid only $450,000 for his work on the film. This was of course a huge win for New Line Cinema especially when you factor in the box office success of the effort as well. The success of both Ace Ventura and The Mask paved way for Carrey making a cool $7 million paycheck to appear in Dumb and Dumber later that year. Talk about a hot streak.
Jim Carrey’s daily make up sessions took up to four hours
To say Jim Carrey has one of the most expressive faces in Hollywood would be a massive understatement. His innate ability to contort his facial expressions truly made him the best pick to embody the fourth-wall breaking, pop culture referencing, Looney Tunes cartoons inspired character. Make-up effects artist Greg Cannom had his work cut out for him during the production of The Mask. With the limited production budget he had to come up with innovative ways to harness Carrey’s rubber faced antics and bring out the actor’s exaggerated facial expressions through multiple layers of makeup, and this tedious process took a whopping four hours to finish up on a daily basis. The oversized fake teeth on the Mask character was supposed to be used during scenes which required no dialogue but Carrey learned to wear them while talking so he could incorporate them into his wacky performance.
The Cuban Pete musical number wasn’t a favourite of the producers
The producers of the movie weren’t fans of the “Cuban Pete” music number and initially wanted it gone. They felt that the sequence was unnecessary, unfunny and overstayed its welcome but when test audiences of a preview screening loved it they ended up keeping it in the film. The “Cuban Pete” song first appeared in the vintage 1937 short, titled Sunday Night at the Trocadero.
The banana yellow suit was based on an item from Jim Carrey’s own wardrobe
The Mask character was written and designed around Jim Carrey’s quirky, larger-than-life persona. That much is pretty obvious. Most of the lines in the movie were ad-libbed by Carrey and even some of the scenes, like where the character whipped out a wet condom out of his pocket and says “sorry wrong pocket” to the gangsters, were all improvised by the comedian on the spot. The iconic banana-yellow suit worn by the green-faced troublemaker was also based on an item from the actor’s own wardrobe. Supposedly it resembled the bright yellow suit which his mother made for him for his first very stand-up comedy routine.
The movie inspired an unexpected resurgence in swing music
The Mask features some truly exciting dance sequences in its runtime and most of the toe-tapping dance numbers feature swing music. For the uninitiated, swing music was a style of jazz that was birthed in the late 1920s and peaked in the mid-1930s. The most popular dance number featured in the film, “Hey Pachuko” was recorded by Los Angeles swing band Royal Crown Revue for the flick. The group even made an on-screen cameo as the band members of the Coco Bongo club. The vibrant swing-heavy soundtrack also features the talents of such artists as The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Susan Boyd, Fishbone, Vanessa Williams, Domino, and Harry Connick Jr. So, if you are in the mood for some sprightly tunes look no further than the OST of The Mask.
Box-office success, critical acclaim and a disappointing sequel
Made on a production budget of $23 million The Mask went on to make a jaw-dropping $351.6 million at the worldwide box-office, making it the most profitable comic book movie of all time until 2019 when Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker surpassed it. It was also the second-highest grossing superhero movie at that time, behind Tim Burton’s Batman. The flick was one of three efforts – the others being Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Dumb and Dumber – released in 1994 which shot Jim Carrey into the Hollywood stratosphere. The culmination of these back-to-back successes would ultimately be the astounding $20 million paycheck he’d earn for starring in Colombia Picture’s black comedy The Cable Guy in 1996.
The movie also proved to be hit with film critics as well, with review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes maintaining an approval rating of 80% based on 54 critic reviews. The site’s consensus asserts that, “It misses perhaps as often as it hits, but Jim Carrey’s manic bombast, Cameron Diaz’s blowsy appeal, and the film’s overall cartoony bombast keep The Mask afloat.” Both Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert gave the film “two thumbs up” praising Carrey’s manic performance and Diaz’s star-making turn. The film even achieved some moderate success during awards season, nabbing a nomination for Best Visual Effects at the 67th Academy Awards and earning Carrey his first Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor.
The Mask’s success spawned a three-season animated series bankrolled by CBS which continued the original narrative of the movie. A videogame based on the movie was also released by Super Nintendo Entertainment System by Black Pearl Software. Talks of producing a direct sequel to The Mask have been discussed over the years and sadly the closest we ever got to one was the sobering disappointment that was 2005’s Son of the Mask which featured neither Carrey nor Diaz. Thus, all plans for jump starting a potential franchise came to a sad and premature end.
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Hasitha Fernando is a part-time medical practitioner and full-time cinephile. Follow him on Twitter via @DoctorCinephile for regular updates on the world of entertainment.
