If he’s not careful, Jim Carrey will get a reputation as the albatross of Hollywood. Because yet another film he’s involved with has fallen apart at the script stage.
This time, though, it doesn’t all seem to be the fault of Carrey’s bad mojo. Gabriele Muccino, who pulled out of Tonight, He Comes with Will Smith, was all set to direct A Little Game Without Consequence starring Carrey and Cameron Diaz.
But now it’s off – or at least stuck in “creative difference”-land. "Due to amicable but substantive creative differences, Focus Features and producers Alain Chabat and Stephanie Danan are no longer making A Little Game with Gabriele Muccino. We are actively seeking a suitable replacement and plan to move forward with the project when that happens," according to a statement from production company Focus Features.
So what lies behind that standard filmmaking explanation? Script differences. Apparently the script – which had been adapted from the original French film by Allan Loeb and then re-written by Muccino – wasn’t quite headed in the direction that the actors expected when they signed on the dotted. There was also apparently a disagreement between Muccino and Focus in what the tone should be – the director (and his actors) favoured the black comedy of the original, Focus wanted something more commercial.
If and when it gets going again, it seems unlikely that either thesp will still be involved. But given Carrey's recent success rate - both Used Guys and Ripley's Believe It Or Not have shut down with him attached - he’ll likely be available.