The duo made this revelation during a recent interview with SyFy Wire, where they also disclosed that the sequel was aptly titled Brucifer. According to Koren, he and O’Keefe had presented the Brucifer idea to producer Michael Bostick at the Bruce Almighty premiere. They also pitched the concept to Carrey who found the idea interesting and would have been up for reprising his role. Unfortunately, when they eventually pitched the idea to Universal Studios several years later, it was shut down. The studio executives were not interested in another Bruce Almighty sequel given the fact that a few years earlier, their attempt at a spinoff titled Evan Almighty, had failed at the box office. Besides, they weren’t convinced about the story and, as a result, refused to sign off on it. Since Universal Studios binned the sequel, the film’s co-writer Koren took the liberty to disclose the storyline. According to him, the plot involved Nolan losing his wife, which resulted in him losing his faith even though he had a personal encounter with God. However, instead of accepting his fate like every other person, Nolan threw his lot in with Satan who granted him the power to revive her. Nolan’s wife, Grace, would have first returned as a zombie before eventually becoming herself. While the storyline seems a bit depressing, Koren stated that they would have written the script in a friendly way and that they “certainly didn’t want to depress people.” However, Universal Studios was not sold on the idea. O’Keefe also had a few words on the sequel. He stated, “It was going to be the Trials of Job, essentially. The world had not gone his way since he was God. Everything was great for a while; he [Bruce Nolan] was married and it all fell apart. He was once again questioning everything and then got a different way to solve things… Totally different themes, of course, but the beats everyone enjoys.” O’Keefe further described the storyline as “the most cost-effective sequel imaginable.” Bruce Almighty is a fantasy comedy film that hit cinemas in 2003. It was directed by Tom Shadyac and was a massive hit at the box office. The film grossed $484.6 million against an $84 million budget. It followed Nolan, a television reporter who thought God was incompetent. In response, “God” offered him [Nolan] his powers and responsibilities for one week. At first, Nolan enjoyed playing the all-powerful deity. However, he soon realizes he can’t handle the responsibility that comes with the power and he gives it up, leaving his fate in God’s hands. Apart from Carrey, who starred as Bruce, other members of the cast are Morgan Freeman, Steve Carrell, Jennifer Aniston, Catherine Bell, and Philip Baker Hall who star as God, Evan Baxter, Grace Connelly, Susan Ortega, and Jack Baylor respectively. Also, Steve Oedekerk co-wrote the movie alongside Koren and O’Keefe. Koren is a writer, producer, and screenwriter with a wide array of movies under his belt. His writing credits include Seinfeld, Superstar, A Thousand Words, Jack and Jill, Veep, and Click. O’Keefe, on the other hand, is a comedy screenwriter. Apart from his work on Bruce Almighty, he worked on Evan Almighty and Click. Carrey is an actor and comedian that gained recognition in 1990 after starring in the comedy series In Living Color. Since his debut, the ace actor has worked on several movies, including the Sonic the Hedgehog films, Liar Liar, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Christmas Carol, Yes Man, and The Majestic. He is also the recipient of many prestigious awards, including the Golden Globe awards, MTV Movies and TV awards, People’s Choice awards, and many more. By the way, the third installment of Carrey’s Sonic the Hedgehog films has been scheduled for a December 2024 release. Also, Warner Bros. has announced a surprise release of its recent film Black Adam on digital media. Marvel fans will also be glad to know that the studio has finally appointed a director and screenwriter for its planned reboot of Blade set to release in September 2024. Given how things have progressed, there is little chance we will ever see Brucifer on our screens. However, fans can catch up on Bruce Almighty on Prime Video, Hulu, Disney Plus, and Peacock.
