With the slow build towards allowing certain comic properties to tap into their R-rated origins, will we ever see a proper adaptation of The Mask?

Probably not.

Thanks for reading, everyone!

     In all seriousness, it is something that cannot be said for certain, as there are a few caveats to whether or not it is something we may see. There are a few things to consider when it comes to this question, as well as things to consider in regards to the R-rated comic adaptations that we have seen.

     The Mask began, properly, in 1989, created by writer Mike Richardson, with artists Mark Badger, John Arcudi, and Doug Mahnke. The character, as an early concept, first came about as an idea in 1982, evolving into the fully-fledged character as he stayed by 1989.
     The Mask, unlike the film, revolved primarily around the title object itself, as it came into contact with various individuals, turning those people into a being that gave in to their worst traits, transforming them into insane psychopaths. The Mask was worn by both protagonists and antagonists alike, and while the antagonists were ultra-violent in their ways, the protagonists didn’t fare any better, becoming more in vain of anti-heroes than actual ‘heroes’, with the same violent tendencies intact. Not to mention, the series itself was very much for mature readers, a dark horror-comedy with adult scenarios and gore in its violence.

     As you could imagine with the description, the film we are all familiar with is very different from the source material. There is one moment that is similar to it, though, and it is after the initial transformation; where The Mask returns to the mechanics that messed with Ipkiss earlier and violently exacts his revenge on them (if you ever wondered why that scene was there or seemed slightly out of place compared to the rest, well, there you go). It’s been said that, apparently, the original tone of the film was to be in the same vein as the original material. So what changed that?

     Jim Carrey signed on and the screenplay was changed to more suit him. And, honestly, it’s completely understandable. You aren’t really going to be able to pass up a chance of having someone like Carrey, at his peak, play what is essentially a literal, live-action cartoon.
But there is something else that may have turned things around here, it being mostly just speculation on my part, but it’s the most important thing for studios during filmmaking;

     See, that original concept is not necessarily something you would expect studios to put a lot of money into, as it doesn’t seem like a property that would be very accessible to the general public, especially if it were to keep the original tone. Before this, we had only seen one comic adaptation that kept its intended, R-rated tone, being the Dolph Lundgren starring Punisher from 1989, and it didn’t do so well at the time. The second film that would be a proper adaptation of its source material, and was successful, came out a mere two months before The Mask’s release.
     That movie was The Crow. And after The Crow, we wouldn’t see another decent R-rated comic film adaptation until three years later, with the successful Blade.
We are 20-plus years out from this period, and though we have seen quite a few more of these R-rated adaptations, we are now at a point where studios are slowly being more trusting in putting their money behind these types of works. So what makes me believe we may not get a new and more faithful adaptation of The Mask? Simple. The previous film.

     There are a few things to keep in mind when looking at the films we have had recently that worked towards pushing this recent turn.
     Deadpool was a gamble, yet one that has had success that is completely understandable. It was a gamble as Deadpool the character isn’t widely known to mainstream fans (those who primarily enjoy comic properties through films), and the one time he was featured in a film, it turned out to be a tad disastrous. But Deadpool did have two important things going for it;
     - the enthusiasm and love of the property from Ryan Reynolds,
     - and the character himself being, in all honesty, still easily accessible to those who may not know anything about him.

     Yes, the fact that there were people working on the film that understood the character and wrote him as he should be cannot be forgotten, but when stripped down to an easy descriptor, Deadpool is a violent anti-hero with a wicked sense of humour. The film would be an R-rated adult comedy set in a comic world, and with the massive influx in these times of Marvel films, the Fox X-Men series, DC, and Nolan’s Batman, audiences that follow comics through films now know enough of superhero tropes to enjoy any self-referential humour that pokes fun at its own genre. Then we had something on the opposite side of things.
     Logan, meanwhile, took a character that people had fallen in love with over a decade and a half, once again thanks to the love and enthusiasm of its actor, and placed him in a scenario/film that all others seemed to have been building towards. We had seen Wolverine as what he can be, such as in the X2 mansion ‘berserker’ scene, as well as having character development that built to reach an understandable ‘adult’ conclusion to his story. The R-rating was necessary for Logan as a film. The character himself has always been haunted by what he has seen and done over his lifetime, and here we saw exactly why he has always been the way he has. We are given a firsthand account of just what day-to-day life would be like for someone with giant knives protruding from his hands. It’s not pretty. The rating was important for the story it told, but it seems that, by this point, casual fans understood why it was important and made sense to them as well.

     Not only is the original material of The Mask still foreign to many, but The Mask The Film is now very much what people see the property as. For a lot of individuals, it’s part of their childhood as another great Jim Carrey role that came in the middle of his high peak and popularity. Though I know a lot of people can be, and are, open to different things, as a studio you wouldn’t risk the fact that many familiar with the title because of the prior film would be turned away what they see as being a sudden turn away from what they know. And while that movie is simply loosely adapted from the source, and some might argue is reason enough for a re-do, one need to remember what matters to the studios;

Cha-ching-ching-ching! $$!! :D :D

     With that look at what we have seen the past few years, some may wonder if there might be some way we could see a new version. The closest I can see happening would be a low(er) budget attempt. The issue there is that, when you see a studio strip money in these ways, there isn’t always a guarantee that we would see a proper effort put towards it. This isn’t always the case, though a risk that is there. The best hope is that a smaller studio may receive the rights and attempt themselves, but that is also a gamble. There is one other small issue with a smaller budget in this case, as The Mask is an idea that needs to be able to have enough money to be able to properly convey the insanity and actions of the title character.

     As much as I would honestly love to see an adaptation of the work that stays true to its source material, as it would be completely bonkers and unlike anything a lot would expect, I’m not entirely sure it’s worth holding our breath for. Though crazier things have happened….

Like the sequel, which totally doesn't exist...