The Mask II (lost production material from "The Mask" sequel film; 1995-2004)
Logo used in Nintendo Power contest.
Status: Lost
The Mask was a box-office hit in 1994 and made a genuine star out of Jim Carrey. Getting an animated series and influencing further adaptations (including its original comic book), there were, of course, talks about a sequel, The Mask II.
Cancellation
The Mask II would have once again featured Carrey, Amy Yasbeck, and be directed by Chuck Russell. This sequel would have come out just a couple of years later.
However, Jim Carrey made it known that he highly disliked playing the same character twice (as it wasn't "challenging" enough), and turned down a salary of 10 million dollars for reprising the role in this hypothetical The Mask II.
A sequel eventually came out in 2005 as Son Of The Mask, which didn't involve Carrey and was critically panned.
Nintendo Power announcement
Late video game magazine Nintendo Power (issue 77) ran a contest in 1995 where the winner would visit the set of The Mask II and even be an extra. It is unlikely that such a contest would be published without at least some significant production being already achieved.
The winner, Nathan Runk, was contacted by Nintendo Power after Carrey declined the role. Runk was given the option to either receive a cash payout ($5,000USD) or waiting for the movie to be made in the future (so he could have the originally planned prize). He chose the money.
In addition, Runk was given a multitude of THQ games, a unique The Mask II crew jacket (that he unfortunately lost as it got given to a Goodwill), and a phone call from Leslie Swan, a Nintendo localization manager and editor who voiced Princess Peach in Super Mario 64.
The final issue of Nintendo Power (#285) included an apology to the winner of the contest: "To whoever won that contest: sorry."
Existing documents
Three copyright documents filed for The Mask II exist on the United States Copyright Office ranging from May 2001 to July 2004.
The document The mask II; motion picture / Written by Lance Khazei. was filed by Lance Khazei, who wrote Son of the Mask, and Katja Motion Picture Corporation, who files copyrights for movies including the original The Mask, on May 1, 2001. The document states that the movie was written by Lance Khazei.
The document Mask II; picture / Created by False River Productions, Inc. & Karey Kirkpatrick, as a work made for hire for Katja Motion Picture Corporation. was filed by False River Productions, Inc. and Karey Kirkpatrick, who also worked on Flakes, on May 22, 2003. The document states the movie was created by False River Productions, Inc. and Karey Kirkpatrick as a work made for hire for Katja Motion Picture Corporation.
The document The mask II; motion picture project / By Lance Khazei (changes, revisions, deletions and/or additions) as a work made for hire for Katja Motion Picture Corporation. Based on the screenplay, Mask II, written by Chuck Russell; based on the motion picture The mask, with screenplay written by Mike Werb from a story by Michael Fallon and Mark Verheiden, based on the dark horse comic book series; as well as screenplay drafts for Mask II, written by David Pollock & Elias Davis. was filed by Lance Khazei and Katja Motion Picture Corporation on July 8, 2004. The document states that the changes, revisions, deletions, and additions to the film were by Lance Khazei, as a work made for hire for Katja Motion Picture Corporation, and that screenplay drafts were written by David Pollock & Elias Davis. The document also states that the film was based on the screenplay Mask II written by Chuck Russell, although this is most likely a mistake considering that Chuck Russell wrote the first film instead.
