30 Years Ago Today, Dumb and Dumber Was Released In Theaters
On this day on December 16th, 1994, Dumb and Dumber was officially released in theaters to mixed reviews from critics
● The success of Dumb and Dumber launched the career of the Farrelly brothers, established the range of the heretofore dramatically acclaimed Jeff Daniels as a gifted comedic actor and revitalized his Hollywood career, and solidified Jim Carrey's reputation as one of the most prominent actors of the 1990s.
● Nicolas Cage, who was proposed to be Carrey's co-star, tried to negotiate a $2M increase in his fee but New Line Cinema decided against casting him and signed Jeff Daniels instead. Daniels was only paid around $50,000.
● New Line Cinema originally did not want Daniels in the film, as he was known only for his dramatic work at the time. However, the Farrellys and Carrey wanted Daniels for the part. Although New Line Cinema agreed to their demands, Daniels was offered the low salary in the hopes it would discourage him from signing on to the film. Daniels ultimately accepted the role, despite his agent reportedly dissuading him out of fears it would kill his career.
● Dumb and Dumber did not secure any major American film awards, it was successful at the 1995 MTV Movie Awards. Carrey won for Best Comic Performance, Carrey and Holly (a couple who would later endure a short-lived marriage) won for Best Kiss, and Carrey and Daniels were nominated for Best On-Screen Duo.
● The success of the first film spawned an animated series spinoff in 1995 that lasted one season, a prequel in 2003, and a sequel in 2014
On this day on December 16th, 1994, Dumb and Dumber was officially released in theaters to mixed reviews from critics
● The success of Dumb and Dumber launched the career of the Farrelly brothers, established the range of the heretofore dramatically acclaimed Jeff Daniels as a gifted comedic actor and revitalized his Hollywood career, and solidified Jim Carrey's reputation as one of the most prominent actors of the 1990s.
● Nicolas Cage, who was proposed to be Carrey's co-star, tried to negotiate a $2M increase in his fee but New Line Cinema decided against casting him and signed Jeff Daniels instead. Daniels was only paid around $50,000.
● New Line Cinema originally did not want Daniels in the film, as he was known only for his dramatic work at the time. However, the Farrellys and Carrey wanted Daniels for the part. Although New Line Cinema agreed to their demands, Daniels was offered the low salary in the hopes it would discourage him from signing on to the film. Daniels ultimately accepted the role, despite his agent reportedly dissuading him out of fears it would kill his career.
● Dumb and Dumber did not secure any major American film awards, it was successful at the 1995 MTV Movie Awards. Carrey won for Best Comic Performance, Carrey and Holly (a couple who would later endure a short-lived marriage) won for Best Kiss, and Carrey and Daniels were nominated for Best On-Screen Duo.
● The success of the first film spawned an animated series spinoff in 1995 that lasted one season, a prequel in 2003, and a sequel in 2014