Ace Ventura 3 is in development for Amazon from the writers of Sonic the Hedgehog, according to Morgan Creek, the franchise's production company. The first Ace Ventura was released in 1994 and helped launch its star Jim Carrey as one of the biggest Hollywood names of the 1990s. It followed the titular pet detective on a case involving a football mascot, a missing ring, and a former placekicker called Finkle. An Africa-set sequel, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls quickly followed the next year, and both movies are widely regarded among the funniest to come from that decade by fans, despite critics hating them.
While Carrey has gone on to star in a number of other successful franchises and movies since, he is still arguably best known for playing the whacky and unpredictable pet detective with the big hair. His catchphrases from the franchise, including "Alrighty then," "lahoo-se-her" (something Carrey brought back for SNL), and "do NOT go in there" remain some of the most repeated quotes in movie history, and there's no doubt a new sequel would be an almost guaranteed success, so long as Carrey reprised the role of Ace Ventura.
Now, speaking to Park Circus, the team at Morgan Creek, the production company behind the Ace Ventura movies, says that a new Ace Ventura movie is actively in development from the writers of Carrey's most recent movie, Sonic the Hedgehog. The Morgan Creek team says the franchise will see a "new day" at Amazon as a major motion picture, also hinting at it being "reinvented." You can read their full comments below:
Titles such as Ace Ventura, Major League, Young Guns, Dead Ringers, Diabolique, and Nightbreed are a few examples of multi-platform projects on the fast-track for reinvention. 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.
While the news is exciting for fans of the franchise, it should be treated with some caution. Morgan Creek doesn't mention Carrey, or whether Ace Ventura 3 will be a sequel or a reboot. The assumption, and hope, would be that Carrey is on board, especially given the connection to Sonic the Hedgehog, but the use of the word "reinvention" in the quote could mean this is a reboot. Hopefully it is the former, as it would be difficult to see any other actor step into the role, and a daunting prospect for even the most talented comic.
If Carrey does return to play the iconic role in Ace Ventura 3, though, it would see him returning to the scene of one of his greatest triumphs. Carrey has not proven averse to belatedly returning to the roles that made him famous, appearing in Dumb and Dumber To in 2014, though hopefully this franchise update will be of a better quality than that disappointing effort. For now, there's little to go on, so hopefully more news is forthcoming as the movie gets further into development, and Carrey's involvement is confirmed.
Source: Park Circus