The Mask (1994 film)

The Mask is a 1994 American superhero comedy film directed by Chuck Russell and produced by Bob Engelman from a screenplay by Mike Werb and a story by Michael Fallon and Mark Verheiden. It is the first film in the Mask franchise, based on the comic book series of the same name by John Arcudi and Doug Mahnke, in turn based on a concept by Mike Richardson, published by Dark Horse Comics. It stars Jim Carrey in the title role, with Peter Riegert, Peter Greene, Amy Yasbeck, Richard Jeni, and Cameron Diaz in her film debut. Carrey plays Stanley Ipkiss, an ordinary man who finds an enchanted mask that transforms him into the titular green-faced troublemaker who can cartoonishly alter himself and his surroundings at will. Filming began on August 30, 1993 and concluded that October.

The film was released on July 29, 1994, by New Line Cinema, becoming a critical and commercial success. The film grossed $351.6 million on an $18–23 million budget, becoming the fourth-highest-grossing film of 1994, which made it the most profitable film based on a comic up to that point. The film also influenced the resurgence of swing music in the 1990s. It cemented Carrey's reputation as a significant actor of the 1990s, and it established Diaz as a leading lady. Carrey was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role, and the film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, losing to Forrest Gump. A sequel without the involvement of Carrey, Son of the Mask, was released in 2005 to critical and commercial failure.