First to hit preproduction (by April '96) is:
THE RIDDLER RETURNS FOREVER ===========================The Riddler, freed from Arkham Asylum by presumed dead arch-villains Joker and Penguin (Nicholson and DeVito, again), sets out to take over the minds of Gotham's pets for destructive purposes. Deciding to ditch his rescuers when they demand too large a cut of the spoils, Riddler sicks the animals of Gotham Memorial Zoo on them. In desparation, they turn to the Dynamic Duo and together the four devise a plan to foil the Riddler. But can Joker and Penguin be trusted? The magic 8-ball says "No".
The rest, in no particular order, are:
ACE VENTURA: THE RETURN OF KING KONG ====================================When the great ape of Monster Island re-emerges after a two-decade vacation, Ace Ventura, Pet Detective, is called upon to save the day. When the fight looms too large for one man to handle, Ace calls upon the killer apes from "Congo" to join the fray. But when brawn fails to do the trick, Ace comes up with a sure-fire trap using a bit of pet psychology. Rumored to be the last Ace Ventura film.
MASK VS. THE MASK =================The former nebbish of a bank clerk finds his self-confidence waning several months after ditching the infamous mask. Setting out to recover it, he bumps into Rocky Dennis (Eric Stoltz) who has been searching for the relic for years in hopes of turning his illness-deformed head into something less grotesque. The race ends on the continent of Antartica with both men reaching the mask at the same time and inadvertantly ripping it down the middle. Carrey's half of the mask gives him watered-down powers and but the same disposition as in the first film, while Rocky's half possesses equal powers but instills its wearer with a valiant disposition. The two fight for several days before realizing what each has in common with the other. Of course, baddies are waiting in the wings to snatch the mask and restore it to its former glory so that the can use it for vile purposes. Look for a cameo by Cher as Rocky's mother.
DUMBER AND DUMBEST ==================Carrey abondons long-time friend Jeff Daniels when Daniels enrolls in a couple of courses at a local community college and realizes just how manipulative Carrey has been. Carrey seeks out a new dumb companion and finds Ernest to fit the bill nicely. When the two take jobs at JFK airport in New York as air traffic controllers, all h-e-double-hockey-stix breaks loose and the pair are ordered separated by the New York 5th Circuit Court. Carrey is sent to Columbus, Ohio while Ernest is relocated to Cleveland. Watch for the laughs to come hard and fast when each decides to take the long way around to find his trusted friend. Will they meet in the middle somewhere in the opposite hemisphere? Only the screenwriters know for sure.