When released in American theaters on May 23, 2003, 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.

Evan Almighty — a spin-off sequel focusing on Steve Carell's character, with Shadyac and Oedekerk returning to direct and write, respectively, and Freeman also reprising his role — was released on June 22, 2007.

Bruce is initially jubilant with the powers, using them for personal gains, such as regaining his previous job and impressing his girlfriend, Grace Connelly.

Stunned by this development, Bruce walks alone on a highway, asking God to take back his powers and leaving his fate in His hands.

[9] Buena Vista International acquired distribution rights in a majority of regions[10][11] except in Scandinavia, Portugal and Japan, where it was handled by distributors who already held deals with Spyglass in those respective territories.

United International Pictures[12] and Pony Canyon[13] respectively handled theatrical and home video rights in Japan, while SF Studios handled Scandinavian distribution through subsidiaries AB Svensk Filmindustri in Sweden,[14] SF Film A/S in Denmark[15] and FS Film Oy in Finland.

[18] Bruce Almighty earned $67.9 million during its opening weekend, which made it the highest for a Jim Carrey film, surpassing How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

[24] There, it made a total of $8.3 million, beating Batman Forever to have the highest opening weekend for a Jim Carrey film in the country.

[25] Bruce Almighty joined The Matrix Reloaded, Finding Nemo, X2 and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl to become the first five films to earn over $200 million at the box office in one summer season.

The site's critical consensus reads, "Carrey is hilarious in the slapstick scenes, but Bruce Almighty gets bogged down in treacle.

"[29] Variety's Robert Koehler gave the film a mixed review: "There's remarkably little done with a premise snatched from high-concept heaven, adding yet another file to the growing cabinet of under-realized comedies.

"[32] The film was banned in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait and Qatar because of its portrayal of God as an ordinary man and its being blasphemous to Islam.

[33][34] As God contacts Bruce using an actual phone number rather than one in the standard fictional 555 telephone exchange, several people and groups sharing this number received hundreds of phone calls from people wanting to talk to God, including a church in North Carolina, US (where the minister was named Bruce), a Florida woman who threatened to sue Universal Pictures, a pastor in northern Wisconsin and a man running a sandwich shop in Manchester, England.

Tracks 8-13 are from the score composed by John Debney, performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony (conducted by Pete Anthony) with Brad Dechter and Sandy De Crescent.

Before Evan Almighty materialized, screenwriters Steve Koren and Mark O’Keefe envisioned a sequel with the title Brucifer.