1994 was an amazing year for Jim Carrey, as the comedic actor was propelled to worldwide fame thanks to his starring roles in The Mask, Dumb and Dumber and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. While The Mask spawned a spinoff a decade later (though the less said about Son of the Mask, the better) and Dumb and Dumber To didn’t arrive until 2014, Ace Ventura 2: When Nature Calls came out just a year after its predecessor. Over two and a half decades later, not only is Ace Ventura 3 still in the cards, it’s taken a big step forward.
Morgan Creek Entertainment, the production company behind the Ace Ventura movies, recently spoke with Park Circus for a spotlight piece, and while upcoming projects were discussed, it was noted that Ace Ventura 3 now has writers attached and is headed to streaming:
We’re pretty excited about our franchise developments with 'Exorcist' and the Ace Ventura franchise - its noticeable from the 3 million fans chatting on the official Facebook page for Ace Ventura that audiences are clamouring for a third installment… During COVID, audiences have been in love and are thrilled to have beloved characters brought back with new stories. Ace Ventura will see a new day at Amazon as a major motion picture/theatrical with the Sonic the Hedgehog writers.
Now before going further, it’s important to note that the last sentence in the above statement has since been removed from Park Circus piece, which could indicate one of two things. First, Ace Ventura 3 heading to Amazon and tapping Sonic the Hedgehog writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller to pen the screenplay was information that wasn’t supposed to be revealed to the public yet. Two, perhaps either Casey and Miller’s deal to work on Ace Ventura 3, and/or the arrangement with Amazon, haven’t been finalized, so mentioning them at all was jumping the gun. Either way, it’ll be most welcome when Casey and Miller’s involvement, as well as how Amazon fits into the picture, is eventually verified.
Although 2009 brought the prequel Ace Ventura Jr.: Pet Detective, no doubt a lot of fans of the comedy franchise would be ecstatic to see Jim Carrey back in the Hawaiian shirt getting into all sorts of crazy shenanigans with Earth’s creature. That said, it’s still unclear whether Ace Ventura 3 will be a true sequel or if it’s starting with a fresh slate. Back in 2015, Morgan Creek Entertainment expressed interest in rebooting, remaking or relaunching the Ace Ventura property, and two years later, the company’s founder, James G. Robinson, said that it would be a new movie “in the spirit of the original.” It was also clarified that the next Ace Ventura movie would maintain some ties with the original movies, making it akin to something like the new Jumanji movies rather than being a full-blown reboot.
But now we’re in 2021, and what was being planned in 2017 may no longer be in the works. So again, hopefully at a later date, all the details will be ironed out and Morgan Creek Entertainment will set the record straight on what exactly is going on with Ace Ventura 3. And if Jim Carrey is indeed involved with the project, then much like the recently-released Coming 2 America, Ace Ventura 3 is a comedy that would surely draw a lot of people to Amazon Prime Video.
While we wait for more news about what’s in store for Ace Ventura 3, keep track of theatrical offerings arriving much sooner with our upcoming 2021 movies guide.
