The Mask

The Mask is an American media franchise based on the comic book series of the same name by Dark Horse Comics. It revolves around a mask that gives individuals cartoonish superpowers and the obstacles they must overcome while wearing it. The first film, The Mask, was released in 1994 after six years of development, with a stand-alone sequel, Son of the Mask, released in 2005. An animated series was also produced and ran for three seasons. The first film was widely successful, while the second film was critically panned and a box-office failure. Background In 1989, Mike Richardson and Todd Moyer, respectively the founder and Executive Vice President of Dark Horse Comics, first approached New Line Cinema about adapting the comic series The Mask into a film, after having seen other offers. The main character went through several transformations, and the project was stalled a couple of times. With New Line Cinema initially intending for The Mask to start a new horror franchise, the company offered the job of directing the film to Charles Russell, known for directing such films. However, Russell found the violence of the comic to be off-putting, and wanted the film to be less grim and more fun than the source material.