Jeff Daniels tells Late Night with Jimmy Fallon that he expects the sequel to begin filming in September, with himself and Carrey reprising the roles of Harry Dunne and Lloyd Christmas, respectively. Watch the video...
So you’re telling us there’s a chance?
Here's a transcript of the relevant portions of the interview...
I’ve seen the script. It’s hysterical... We’re middle-aged, we’re not pretending we aren’t. We’re middle-aged and we’re still that stupid.
Which is totally fine, because unlike original Ghostbusters Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, both Carrey and Daniels have aged handsomely and should have very little trouble slipping back into the comedic roles that helped turned them into household names.
Till now the Dumb and Dumber sequel has been one of those projects – like Ghostbusters 3 -- that gets mentioned often but never really sees any traction. Most of the talk comes from original Dumber directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly. But every once in a while, Jim Carrey or Jeff Daniels will say something positive about a script or a start date, and tails start wagging once again.
For the Farrellys, a Dumber sequel would be an attempt to return to the rarified air of the $100M+ club … a plateau they reached only twice (with Dumber and 1998’s There’s Something About Mary). Since then, their movies have hovered in the $42M to $45M range, though there’s plenty of reasons to think that a reunion with Carrey and Daniels for a new story with these beloved characters would really connect with audiences.
Carrey, meanwhile, can get behind a comedy since it doesn’t turn him off the way the violence of Kick-Ass 2 now does. It’s interesting that Carrey hasn’t committed fully to a goofy comedy in years, experimenting with family fare (Mr. Popper’s Penguins, A Christmas Carol) and indies (The Number 23, I Love You, Phillip Morris) while avoiding capitalizing on his past successes. While Carrey has appeared in sequels (and Kick-Ass 2 will be one of them), the last sequel he made to one of his own films was Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls back in 1995.
Speaking of, here’s what Carrey and Daniels looked like back in 1994, when Dumb and Dumber opened in theaters....
Do you think the idea of hanging out with Lloyd and Harry is still appealing to crowds? Or has too much time passed? Let us know your thoughts below.
