Bruce Almighty is a 2003 American fantasy comedy film starring Jim Carrey. The film follows Bruce Nolan, a down-on-his-luck television reporter who complains to God (played by Morgan Freeman) that he is not doing his job correctly and is offered the chance to try being God himself for one week. The film was directed by Tom Shadyac and written by Steve Koren, Mark O'Keefe and Steve Oedekerk. Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carell, Philip Baker Hall and Catherine Bell also star. The film is Shadyac and Carrey's third collaboration, after Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) and Liar Liar (1997).
When released in American theaters on May 23, 2003 by Universal Pictures, Bruce Almighty received mixed reviews from critics but was a box-office success and grossed $86.4 million in its opening weekend, a Memorial Day record at the time. The film surprised the industry's pundits when it beat The Matrix Reloaded the following weekend. It went on to gross $484 million worldwide, becoming the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2003.