Bruce Almighty S Unmade Sequel Brucifer Would Ve Given Jim Carrey The Devil S Powers

There could have been a third installment in the Bruce Almighty series that would have a put a big twist on the story, but for better or for worse, it never came to be. Released in 2003 by director Tom Shadyac, Bruce Almighty was co-written by Steve Koren, Mark O’Keefe, and Steve Oedekerk. It stars Jim Carrey as a reporter named Bruce who accepts an offer from God to acquire the almighty deity’s powers for a week to see what it’s actually like, changing the way he feels about life and the creator’s master plan.

Bruce Almighty was a big hit at the box office, leading to the development of a sequel. Shadyac returned to direct the 2007 spinoff Evan Almighty which focused on Steve Carell’s character in a story that’s essentially a modern retelling of Noah’s Ark. Carrey does not appear in the sequel, though Morgan Freeman reprises his role as God. Oedekerk also penned the script for the follow-up film. Given its sky-high production budget, the film bombed at the box office, failing to earn back what its costs and putting a bow on the series.

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There could have been a third film, however, which would have brought back Carrey as Bruce. In a new chat with Syfy Wire, Bruce Almighty co-writer Steve Koren spoke about the plans that were in place to make Brucifer, a threequel that would have put a major twist on the story by having Bruce acquire Satan’s powers. Koren had actually pitched the idea for Brucifer along with Mark O’Keefe to producer Michael Bostick at the Bruce Almighty premiere, though it wasn’t until 2010 that the screenwriters formally pitched the project to Universal Studios.

Brucifer Was a Pass at Universal Studios

     Universal Pictures  

According to Koren, Jim Carrey was intrigued by the concept of Brucifer and would have been up for starring in the unmade film. The problem was that the pitch came along just a few years after Evan Almighty came up short at the box office, making the studio reluctant to invest in another big-budget installment of the series. In any case, the studio passed on the project. As Koren explained:

Because the film isn’t going to get made, Koren was willing to share some details about the plot. He said the idea was that Bruce’s wife, played by Jennifer Aniston in the original film, would have tragically died, having Carrey’s character questioning his faith despite having actually met God personally.

It’s interesting to think about what could have been, and chances are there are many fans of the original film who’d have loved to see Carrey doing the opposite in a sequel. For what it’s worth, th original film will always be around. You can currently find it streaming on Peacock.