Alrighty then! Jim Carrey has been one rare actor who can take even the simplest line and blurt it out in a way that you’ll remember it forever. He’s also an actor who has made movies with the tiniest budget not only earn millions but stay memorable for years to come.
The year 1994 was one such instance when he delivered back-to-back comedic, historic blockbusters in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective & Dumb and Dumber. Both had three things in common – they were made on a limited budget, did a blockbuster business worldwide & had Jim effortlessly delivering two of the most hilarious performances of all time.
Starting his journey from writing and performing for the American sketch comedy television series In Living Color, Jim Carrey took only a couple of years from there to register himself as the comedic genius he’s considered today.
A ‘comedic’ star was born!
Released on February 4th, 1994, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective opened this week 30 years ago (Feb 4, 1994). This was the film that launched Jim Carrey to movie stardom. It also made filmmakers realize they now have a star who can not only make people laugh but also make the production houses some serious money.
Made at a budget of a mere $12 million, it went on to gross $72 million domestically in the US. What surprised the makers was the film’s worldwide success, as it managed to gross $107 million worldwide during its lifetime. This means it earned almost 800% higher than its budget, which was a rarity in those days.
1350%+ higher revenue than the budget!
This wasn’t it; the year 1994 had much in store for Jim Carrey because a blockbuster even bigger and better than Ace Ventura: Pet Detective was waiting for him. 6th December arrived, and it came with one of the best slapstick comedies Hollywood had ever witnessed since the Charlie Chaplin era ended, Dumb and Dumber.
Produced at a budget of $17 million, it did more than double what Ace Ventura: Pet Detective did and grossed $247.3 million worldwide. Out of this gargantuan total, $127 million was collected domestically in the US. If you calculate it percentage-wise, it’s almost… wait for it… 1350% higher collection than its budget.
This also means Jim Carrey’s films in 1994 collectively made $354 million worldwide, which is almost double what Marvel‘s last film (The Marvels) made at the worldwide box office ($198 million).
Note: Box office numbers are based on estimates and various sources. Numbers have not been independently verified by Koimoi.
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