A sequel to one of the biggest holiday movies of all time is headed down the chimney to ruin your Christmas all over again. Jim Carrey is in talks to return in a sequel to How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the 2000 live-action blockbuster that swiped $351 million USD from Who-villes worldwide.
According to reports, Carrey is in talks to once again be encased in latex and green-dyed yak hair to play the curmudgeonly creature. Along for the sleigh ride is director, Ron Howard, and Howard‘s frequent producing partner Brian Grazer, both of whom worked on the original. The film’s script has been penned by the trio of Alec Berg (Barry), Jeff Schaffer (Curb Your Enthusiasm), and David Mandel (Veep); while none of them are connected with the original film, they have experience adapting the words of the late Theodore Geisel, alias Dr. Seuss. The three previously wrote the screenplay for 2003’s The Cat in the Hat, which starred Mike Myers as the titular chapeaued chat; it was significantly less well-received than its predecessor. Howard and Carrey‘s Grinch was not hailed by critics, but it was the top-grossing movie in America in 2000, and has remained a streaming staple in recent years when the holiday season nears.
What Is ‘The Grinch Who Stole Christmas’ About?
First released as a picture book by Seuss in 1957, it tells the tale of Whoville, a Christmas-loving town populated by the good-natured Whos. The solitary Grinch, a creature who lives on a mountain overlooking Whoville, detests the holiday, and concocts a plan to disguise himself as Santa Claus and steal every last decoration, present, and holiday delicacy in town. However, the decency of the human spirit (or the Who-man spirit, at least) soon shows the Grinch the error of his ways. It was first adapted as an animated special in 1966, with narration by Boris Karloff. Howard‘s 2000 film presents an origin story for the Grinch; as a hirsute outcast of Whoville, he came to resent its inhabitants, and seeks revenge on them. In 2018, Benedict Cumberbatch voiced the Grinch in a CG-animated retelling of the story.
As the Grinch’s heart famously grew three sizes following his attempted Christmas heist, it’s unclear what the sequel will deal with. However, there were several follow-ups to the original animated special, including the horror-themed Halloween Is Grinch Night, and The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat, in which the Grinch battled Seuss’ other most-famous character.
A sequel to How the Grinch Stole Christmas is in development; no release date has yet been announced.
via Collider