Jim Carrey’s Hit Movie Broke One Important Hollywood Rule, And It Was a Big Mistake

Jim Carrey, whom we all know for his impeccable comedic performances, starred in the 2003 blockbuster Bruce Almighty.

The film, which also featured talents like Jennifer Aniston and Morgan Freeman, revolves around the story of Bruce (played by Carrey) who is granted God's powers to see if he can do a better job at running the world. Sounds fun, right? Well, it was, until a tiny oversight turned into a massive blunder.

In Hollywood, there's an unwritten rule: always be cautious with phone numbers. Typically, movies use the universally recognized 555 prefix, specifically numbers from 555-0100 through 555-0199.

This ensures that the numbers shown on screen don't correspond to real, functioning numbers, preventing any unintentional disturbances to unsuspecting individuals.

Bruce Almighty decided to deviate from this norm. In a scene from the movie, God contacts Bruce using the number 776-2323, without an area code. The filmmakers were pretty meticulous, so they double-checked this number within Buffalo, New York's Area Code, where the film takes place, and it turned out that nobody was using it.

However, they didn't check it for other area codes across the country. This oversight led to a series of unexpected calls to various individuals, businesses, and organizations, all mistakenly believed to be the direct line to God.

The repercussions were immediate and widespread. Phone lines across the U.S. were flooded with calls. Many tried the number with their local area codes, hoping to have a chat with the Almighty.

One of the victims was Dawn Jenkins, a glassmaker from Pinellas Park, Florida, who shared with CBSNews about the incident. Her personal cell phone number was the same one flashed on the screen as God's contact.

Jenkins found herself answering around 20 calls every hour, with most callers cheekily asking for God and then promptly hanging up. The same number was also assigned to a woman in South Carolina, who described the constant calls as aggravating.

While the film's intention was purely for entertainment, the unforeseen consequences highlighted the importance of attention to detail, especially in an industry with such a vast reach.

Source: CBS News