Jim Carrey was set to star as Arsène Lupin III in a scrapped 1997 live-action adaptation that would have drawn from Hayao Miyazaki’s directorial debut, The Castle of Cagliostro.
Key Takeaways
- Jim Carrey was the only actor seriously considered for the lead role in the 1997 live-action Lupin III adaptation, with his physical comedy skills and theatrical personality making him an ideal fit for the character.
- The film would have drawn directly from *The Castle of Cagliostro* (1979), Miyazaki’s directorial debut that helped establish his reputation and visual storytelling style.
- An impressive creative team was attached, including director Tsui Hark (best known for the *Once Upon a Time in China* series), screenwriter Peter Briggs (who later co-wrote *Hellboy*), and producers A. Kitman Ho and Alex Ho.
- Development halted due to rights issues, as producer Alex Ho lost the adaptation rights, creating a legal barrier that cancelled production despite the completed script and Jim Carrey’s commitment.
- This missed opportunity could have been a watershed moment in anime-to-live-action adaptations, possibly accelerating Hollywood’s broader interest in anime properties and setting a precedent for respectful cross-cultural film adaptations.
The 1997 Hollywood Project That Never Was: Jim Carrey as Arsène Lupin III
I find it fascinating how close Hollywood came to delivering what could have been a game-changing live-action anime adaptation in 1997. Screenwriter Peter Briggs dropped a bombshell revelation in a 2025 Bluesky post, disclosing that Jim Carrey was set to star as Arsène Lupin III in a scrapped live-action project that never made it to theaters.
The ambitious adaptation brought together an impressive team of industry professionals. Director Tsui Hark, known for his work on the Once Upon a Time in China series, was attached to helm the project alongside producers A. Kitman Ho and Alex Ho. Briggs emphasized that Carrey wasn’t just one of many actors considered for the role – he was “the only live-action casting seriously considered during early development.”
This casting choice makes perfect sense when considering Carrey’s physical comedy skills and his ability to embody eccentric characters. His elastic facial expressions and animated personality would have aligned perfectly with Lupin III’s mischievous and theatrical nature. During the late 1990s, Carrey was at the height of his career following successes like The Mask and Ace Ventura, making him an ideal choice for bringing the beloved anime thief to life.
Drawing Inspiration from Miyazaki’s Masterpiece
The project would have drawn heavily from The Castle of Cagliostro (1979), Hayao Miyazaki’s directorial debut that established his reputation as a master storyteller. This film serves as one of the most celebrated entries in the Lupin III franchise and showcases the perfect blend of adventure, romance, and comedy that defines the series. Miyazaki’s interpretation of the gentleman thief brought emotional depth and visual splendor that elevated the character beyond simple heist comedy.
Using Cagliostro as source material demonstrated the production team’s understanding of what made Lupin III special. The film’s intricate castle setting, memorable supporting characters, and Lupin’s heroic rescue mission would have provided rich material for a live-action adaptation. Carrey’s proven ability to balance physical comedy with genuine emotion could have captured both Lupin’s playful exterior and his underlying nobility.
Unfortunately, development collapsed before the project could advance beyond the script stage. According to Briggs, producer Alex Ho lost the adaptation rights, effectively killing the entire production. This rights issue highlights one of the major challenges facing anime adaptations – the complex web of international licensing agreements that can derail even the most promising projects.
The timing of this lost opportunity proves particularly significant. In 1997, Hollywood hadn’t yet embraced anime properties with the enthusiasm seen in later decades. Netflix’s current anime expansion demonstrates how much the entertainment landscape has changed. A successful Lupin III adaptation starring Jim Carrey might have accelerated Hollywood’s interest in anime properties by years.
The project’s collapse also meant audiences missed what could have been a breakthrough moment for live-action anime adaptations. Instead of waiting decades for successful translations of beloved series, studios might have gained confidence to pursue more ambitious projects earlier. The combination of Tsui Hark’s action expertise, Miyazaki’s source material, and Carrey’s star power represented a perfect storm of creative potential.
Modern attempts at live-action anime continue to struggle with capturing the spirit of their source material. The 1997 Lupin III project, with its focus on Cagliostro’s proven storytelling and Carrey’s natural fit for the character, might have provided a template for future adaptations. The entertainment industry continues to grapple with these challenges, as seen in recent discussions about potential anime projects making their way to streaming platforms.
This lost chapter in Hollywood history serves as a reminder of how close the industry came to potentially revolutionizing anime adaptations decades before they became mainstream entertainment staples.
How The Castle of Cagliostro Launched Miyazaki’s Directorial Identity
The Castle of Cagliostro stands as the pivotal moment when Hayao Miyazaki stepped into his role as a visionary director. Released in 1979, this film marked his first time taking the helm of a feature-length production, establishing the creative DNA that would define his legendary career. I can trace many of Miyazaki’s most beloved storytelling elements back to this foundational work.
Miyazaki’s connection to the Lupin franchise ran deep before Cagliostro. He had co-directed episodes of Lupin the Third Part I during the early 1970s, using the property as his training ground for understanding character dynamics and visual storytelling. This prior experience with the gentleman thief gave him the confidence to push boundaries when crafting his directorial debut.
Visual Elements That Became Miyazaki Signatures
The film introduced several key visual and narrative elements that became hallmarks of Miyazaki’s style:
- High-velocity chase sequences that blend action with character development
- Intricate vertical geography that transforms architecture into storytelling tools
- Detailed environments that feel lived-in and authentic
- Compassionate rogues who challenge traditional hero archetypes
- Clockwork mechanical elements that blend fantasy with engineering precision
These rope-swinging chases and elaborate castle layouts created a visual grammar that Miyazaki would refine and expand throughout his career. The kinetic energy and spatial storytelling techniques he pioneered in Cagliostro later appeared in films like Castle in the Sky and Howl’s Moving Castle.
Industry professionals and fans consistently rank The Castle of Cagliostro among the strongest entries in the Lupin franchise. More importantly, it served as the launching pad for Miyazaki’s artistic evolution from animator to auteur director. His career trajectory shows a clear progression: starting at Toei Animation in 1963, moving through his formative Lupin television work, directing this breakthrough feature in 1979, then creating Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind in 1984 before co-founding Studio Ghibli.
The film’s impact extends beyond Miyazaki’s personal development. Anime’s global reach owes much to directors like Miyazaki who established distinctive visual languages early in their careers. Cagliostro demonstrated that animation could support complex narratives and sophisticated character development, paving the way for the international appreciation of Japanese animation that followed.
This directorial debut established Miyazaki as a filmmaker capable of balancing spectacle with heart, a combination that would become his trademark across decades of acclaimed work.
The Creative Team Behind the Unmade Adaptation
Peter Briggs, who would later co-write Hellboy in 2004, penned the live-action Lupin III screenplay in 1997. His script drew inspiration from the most influential stories in Lupin history, specifically incorporating The Castle of Cagliostro‘s caper framework and character dynamics. Briggs understood that anime captured the world through unique storytelling approaches, and he worked to translate that essence into live-action format.
Director Tsui Hark brought considerable Hong Kong action credentials to the project through his work on the Once Upon a Time in China series. His experience with martial arts choreography and kinetic filmmaking made him an ideal choice for adapting the high-energy heist sequences that define Lupin’s adventures. Behind the scenes, producer A. Kitman Ho championed the project while Alex Ho controlled the crucial rights that would eventually slip away from the production.
Jim Carrey’s Perfect Casting
According to Briggs’ account, no other cast members were seriously considered beyond Jim Carrey for the lead role. Carrey’s rubber-faced physicality and mastery of physical comedy aligned perfectly with Lupin’s unique blend of slapstick heists and suave improvisation. His ability to shift between bumbling comedy and confident charisma captured the essence of Miyazaki’s iconic gentleman thief.
The actor’s trademark expressions and body language would have translated Lupin’s animated mannerisms into live-action without losing the character’s charm. Carrey’s proven track record with transformative roles suggested he could handle both the comedic timing and the sophisticated elements that make Lupin such an enduring character.
Drawing from Animation Legacy
The script specifically referenced The Castle of Cagliostro‘s structure, building upon the framework that had already proven successful in animation. This approach acknowledged that some anime and classics work best when their core elements remain intact during adaptation. Briggs crafted scenarios that would showcase both the heist mechanics and character relationships that made the original stories compelling.
Unfortunately, the rights situation became complicated when Alex Ho lost control of the property. This legal setback effectively ended what could have been a groundbreaking fusion of Western comedy sensibilities with Japanese animation storytelling traditions. The project remains one of cinema’s most intriguing “what if” scenarios, particularly given how it might have influenced the perception of anime series production in Hollywood.
Why the Rights Roadblock Killed the Project
The collapse of Jim Carrey’s potential live-action anime adaptation came down to one critical factor that kills countless Hollywood projects: the loss of adaptation rights. According to Joe Briggs, producer Alex Ho lost the rights to adapt the source material, creating an insurmountable legal barrier that brought development to an immediate halt.
The Timeline of Rights Collapse
The project followed a familiar pattern in Hollywood development that often leads to failure. In 1997, the scripting phase began alongside the assembly of the production package that included Carrey’s attachment. However, this early momentum proved meaningless when the rights lapse occurred after the script phase concluded. Without secured adaptation rights, no studio could greenlight the production, regardless of star power or script quality.
Briggs revealed this information publicly in August 2025 through a Bluesky post, finally explaining why a project with such apparent potential never materialized. The rights loss represents a textbook example of how legal complications can derail even the most promising developments, leaving scripts unproduced and casting attachments worthless.
How Rights Lapses Destroy Hollywood Projects
The entertainment industry operates on strict option timelines that determine whether projects live or die. When producers secure adaptation rights, they typically receive limited windows to develop and greenlight productions. Industry insiders understand these patterns well, as evidenced by the ongoing expansion of anime content across streaming platforms like Netflix’s growing anime catalog.
Rights lapses kill momentum faster than any other development obstacle because they strip away the legal foundation that makes production possible. Even with completed scripts, attached stars, and interested studios, a project cannot move forward without proper intellectual property clearance. This creates what industry professionals call development hell – a state where promising projects remain perpetually stalled due to legal barriers rather than creative or financial constraints.
The Carrey anime project exemplifies how early-stage development can crumble despite significant attachments. His involvement remained contingent throughout the process, meaning his commitment depended on the project securing proper rights and moving into production. When those rights disappeared, so did any possibility of the film reaching audiences.
This rights roadblock prevented what could have been a groundbreaking moment in anime adaptation history. Anime’s global expansion has since shown the massive potential for well-executed live-action adaptations, making the lost opportunity even more significant. The project’s failure demonstrates how legal technicalities can override star power and creative vision in Hollywood’s complex development landscape.
The entertainment industry has seen numerous high-profile projects fall victim to similar rights issues, proving that even A-list talent cannot overcome fundamental legal obstacles. Carrey’s attachment to this anime adaptation joined the long list of “what if” scenarios that haunt Hollywood development, where promising concepts die not from lack of interest or funding, but from the inability to secure the basic legal framework necessary for production.
The Missed Cultural Crossover Opportunity
A high-profile Western live-action Lupin III project in the late 1990s could have dramatically expanded global awareness of Monkey Punch’s beloved franchise, according to media coverage that emerged years later. This unrealized collaboration represented a pivotal crossover moment that would have connected a Hollywood A-lister directly to a property that proved foundational to Hayao Miyazaki’s illustrious career.
Industry outlets framed this missed opportunity as a significant moment for cultural cross-pollination between Western and Japanese entertainment. The project’s potential reach extended far beyond simple adaptation, positioning itself as a bridge that could have introduced mainstream Western audiences to the sophisticated storytelling and character development that Japanese animation offers. CBR, ScreenRant, and IMDb News aggregations surfaced Joe Briggs’ first-hand account, highlighting how this collaboration could have reshaped Western exposure to Lupin III and similar properties.
The timing in the late 1990s market creates particularly compelling speculation about its potential impact. This period preceded the global anime phenomenon that would eventually sweep through Western entertainment. Had this project materialized, it might have accelerated the acceptance and appreciation of anime-based content in Hollywood, potentially influencing the trajectory of later live-action adaptations that have since struggled to capture authentic spirit while appealing to broader audiences.
Amplifying Cross-Cultural Entertainment Impact
The project’s significance extends beyond simple franchise expansion. Industry analysts suggest several key areas where this collaboration could have created lasting cultural impact:
- Establishing precedent for respectful Western adaptations of Japanese properties during a critical market period
- Creating a template for Hollywood productions that honor source material while reaching mainstream audiences
- Generating early momentum for anime-influenced storytelling in Western cinema
- Building bridges between Japanese creators and Western production systems
- Influencing public perception of anime beyond niche enthusiast communities
This missed opportunity particularly stings considering how later attempts at live-action anime adaptations have often struggled with authenticity and cultural sensitivity. The involvement of a respected Hollywood performer could have set different standards for how Western productions approach Japanese source material. Instead of the problematic adaptations that followed, this project might have demonstrated how cross-cultural collaboration could honor original vision while expanding global reach.
The cultural implications stretch further when considering Miyazaki’s subsequent international recognition. While Miyazaki eventually achieved worldwide acclaim through Studio Ghibli’s animated films, earlier exposure through a Lupin III adaptation might have accelerated Western appreciation for his distinctive storytelling approach. This could have influenced how audiences received his later works and potentially impacted the broader acceptance of anime content on streaming platforms.
Coverage from entertainment industry sources consistently emphasized how this project represented more than simple franchise expansion. The collaboration promised to demonstrate anime’s storytelling sophistication to audiences who might have otherwise dismissed the medium as children’s entertainment or niche content. This early crossover could have established different expectations for anime-influenced content, potentially preventing some of the misconceptions that later plagued Western understanding of Japanese animation.
The late 1990s timing also coincided with emerging digital effects capabilities that could have brought Lupin’s world to life in ways that honored the source material’s kinetic energy. This technological convergence with cultural crossover opportunity created a perfect storm that, had it materialized, might have fundamentally altered how Western entertainment approached Japanese properties in subsequent decades.
The project’s cancellation ultimately represents a significant missed moment in entertainment history, one that industry observers continue to reference when discussing successful cross-cultural adaptations and the delicate balance required to honor source material while reaching new audiences.
Lupin’s Legacy Without Hollywood: The Franchise Today
The Lupin III franchise has demonstrated remarkable staying power, continuing to captivate audiences through television series and theatrical releases that prove anime’s enduring appeal. The series returned with renewed energy in 2015’s Part IV, showcasing the character’s ability to evolve while maintaining the core elements that made the original Castle of Cagliostro such a compelling introduction to Miyazaki’s directorial vision.
This ongoing vitality speaks to the fundamental strength of the source material that first attracted Hollywood’s attention in the 1990s. Part IV brought modern animation techniques to the classic formula, proving that Lupin’s adventures could thrive without requiring the validation of a Western adaptation. The franchise’s consistent quality across decades highlights what made Carrey’s potential involvement so intriguing — and what the industry ultimately didn’t need to realize Lupin’s global potential.
Miyazaki’s Evolution Beyond His Early Foundation
Miyazaki’s career trajectory following The Castle of Cagliostro demonstrates how that early experience with Lupin III served as a launching pad for increasingly ambitious projects. His 2013 film The Wind Rises became the highest-grossing film in Japan that year, showcasing an artistic maturity that built upon the technical skills he developed during his time with the gentleman thief. This achievement occurred without any connection to potential Hollywood partnerships, emphasizing how anime continues expanding its reach through organic growth rather than foreign adaptations.
The progression from Cagliostro through works like Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984) and into the Studio Ghibli era reveals how Miyazaki transformed the action-adventure sensibilities he refined with Lupin into something uniquely his own. Each subsequent film built upon lessons learned from directing his first feature, with the character-driven storytelling and attention to mechanical detail that defined Cagliostro becoming hallmarks of his later masterpieces.
The Path Not Taken in Adaptation History
Japan’s 2014 live-action Lupin III film offered an interesting counterpoint to what Carrey’s Hollywood version might have achieved. This domestic production remained faithful to the source material while adapting it for live-action audiences, though it operated completely independently from the cancelled 1997 project. The Japanese film’s approach highlighted how different cultural perspectives can shape adaptation choices, with domestic creators maintaining elements that might have been altered for international markets.
The unmade Hollywood effort represents a fascinating what-if moment in anime adaptation history, particularly given how modern anime adaptations have found success through different approaches. Today’s landscape includes projects like potential Dark Souls anime series and collaborations such as Crunchyroll’s educational partnerships, showing how the industry has evolved beyond traditional Hollywood adaptation models.
Current anime productions often benefit from maintaining their cultural authenticity while reaching global audiences through streaming platforms and international co-productions. This shift suggests that Carrey’s Lupin III might have been ahead of its time in attempting to bridge Eastern and Western entertainment sensibilities, though the methods for achieving such crossover success have fundamentally changed since the 1990s.
The franchise’s continued success across multiple decades proves that Lupin III never needed Hollywood validation to maintain its relevance. From inspiring new animated projects to influencing countless other properties, the series has carved out a permanent place in animation history that transcends any single adaptation attempt.
Sources:
CBR – Jim Carrey Lost Movie Role: Live-Action Anime & Hayao Miyazaki Career
ScreenRant – Jim Carrey Almost Starred in Live-Action Adaptation of Miyazaki’s Lupin III
IMDb News – ni63851586
Wikipedia – The Wind Rises
Visual Paradigm Flipbook
IMDb – Title tt4321508 News
