In some ways you could say that Jim Carrey helped launch Steve Carell's movie career. It was back in 2003 as part of Bruce Almighty, in which Carrey(under the power of God) turned Carell into a blathering idiot, first really drawing people to his comedic gifts. From there Carell moved on to co-star in Anchorman, take the lead in The 40 Year Old Virgin, and finally treat us to the terrible 'Bruce' spinoff, Evan Almighty. When once Carrey was Hollywood's go-to guy for slapstick comedy, he has basically been replaced by Carell. If it came out in 2001, you know darn well Carrey would've been all over Get Smart.
Compare the recent films the two have headlined. Carell has won nothing but praise for his dramatic turn in Crazy Stupid Love. Jim Carrey? He had Mr. Popper's Penguins. Whomp whomp. The two haven't worked together since 2008's Horton Hears a Who, but they're set to do so again as Carrey has joined the cast of the long in development comedy, Burt Wonderstone.
Carell has been attached since the beginning, playing a Vegas magician who breaks from his longtime partner, but finds himself upstaged by a much hipper rival street entertainer. Originally written by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein(Horrible Bosses), Jason Reitman(Up in the Air, Juno) rewrote the script, with TV director Don Scardino at the helm.
