Back in 1994, Jim Carrey was well on his way to establishing himself as the modern day Jerry Lewis with a string of box office hits. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb & Dumber were all released that year, and effectively transformed Carrey into a bonafide movie star.
Warner Bros. was quick to cash in on a second Ace Ventura movie the following year, but Carrey otherwise managed to steer clear of follow-ups to his own work. While the eccentric actor focused on fresh (and sometimes unexpected) material, Hollywood went ahead and created belated sequels to some of his biggest hits without his involvement.
One of the worst offenders was the 2003 film Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd – a prequel that featured a brand new cast and no input from the original film’s directors, Peter & Bobby Farrelly. While most fans have decided to pretend that the prequel doesn’t exist, the first Dumb & Dumber remains a fondly regarded comedy classic
…Which is why I have mixed feelings surrounding Moviehole‘s report that the Farrelly Brothers are developing a proper sequel to Dumb & Dumber. During a press junket for Hall Pass, Bobby Farrelly indicated that they’re hoping to reunite Carrey with co-star Jeff Daniels for a glimpse at what Lloyd and Harry are up to these days:
“[Dumb and Dumber] has run a bunch of times on TV in the states, and kids will come up and they’ll be able to quote lines from that – lines that I’ve long forgotten. If we could get those two guys back together, Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels that might be a worthwhile sequel – and that ball is in motion. We’re starting to think about what those two dimwits would be doing twenty-years later in life, and hopefully we’ll be able to come up with something worthy of a sequel.”
I’ll admit it – I still love Dumb & Dumber and laugh just as hard at it now as I did when I was a child. I know the idea of Carrey and Daniels reprising their roles will no doubt make a lot of fans extremely excited. However, it should be noted that none of this is remotely official at this point. The Farrellys still have The Three Stooges keeping them busy for the time being and it’s anyone’s guess if Carrey and Daniels would actually be interested in a Dumb & Dumber sequel.
For me personally, the bigger issue is the Farrelly Brothers track record since 1998 (I’d argue that’s when they made their last good film). Although Hall Pass was sold to audiences as their return to form, it’s had a tepid reception at best.
I’d love to see the Farrellys come back swinging with a true Dumb & Dumber sequel, but I also think there’s a strong chance that the result might leave fans with two forgettable follow-ups worth ignoring.
