By DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer
LOS ANGELES - - Jim Carrey already learned his lessons from God. Now it's Steve Carell's turn.
A bit player in the 2003 hit "Bruce Almighty," Carell leaped to stardom in the interim, giving the filmmakers a ready-made stand-in when Carrey decided not to return for what became the sequel "Evan Almighty," opening June 22.
"It is a unique situation. We aren't really using the word 'sequel' that much," said Michael Bostick, a producer on "Bruce Almighty" and "Evan Almighty." "We've landed on referring to it as the next installment of the 'Almighty' series."
It's not uncommon for studios to resurrect a franchise with new actors, trying to wring a few more dollars out of an idea even if the original stars don't return. Such instances often are cheapie horror sequels or comedy duds like "Son of the Mask" and the prequel "Dumb or Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd," both Carrey follow-ups, as well.
With a budget that climbed to $175 million, a colossal sum for a comedy, "Evan Almighty" was not just a quick knockoff. The movie is a centerpiece of distributor Universal's summer lineup, and the studio needs it to be a strong successor to "Bruce Almighty," which took in $242.7 million domestically.
Does Carell feel the weight of that $175 million budget on his shoulders?
"Not really. There's nothing I can do about it," Carell said. "My job was done when I wrapped the movie. I feel like I did the best that I could do and brought everything I could as a performer, but it's completely out of my hands. I hope people like it, I hope people go to see it. But I guess I've learned there's no stock in being neurotic about things I have no control over."
One of the biggest comedy hits ever, "Bruce Almighty" starred Carrey as a Buffalo TV reporter whose constant grousing prompts God (Morgan Freeman) to turn his powers over to this mortal malcontent to see if he can do a better job running things.
Carrey's Bruce initially uses his supreme powers for mischief, including turning rival Evan (Carell), his TV station's news anchor, into a babbling idiot during a live broadcast.
It was a scene-stealing moment for Carell, who shot to celebrity afterward as star of TV's "The Office" and the 2005 hit comedy "The 40-Year-Old Virgin."
Carell also costarred in last year's acclaimed "Little Miss Sunshine" and provided one of the voices in the animated hit "Over the Hedge." This fall, he stars in the romantic comedy "Dan in Real Life" and has the lead as agent Maxwell Smart in next summer's "Get Smart," a big-screen update of the 1960s spy sit-com.
"We felt like we just caught lightning in a bottle in the way Steve's star was rising. His own trajectory in the world coincided neatly with where we are today."
Star Beacon Print Edition: 6/15/2007
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