It’s going to be merry Grinchmas all over again. Universal and Imagine Entertainment are developing a sequel to 2000’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, with three key players expected to return.
Jim Carrey is in talks to reprise his role as the classic Dr. Seuss character the Grinch, with Ron Howard returning to direct. Howard will produce alongside his Imagine Entertainment partner Brian Grazer.
The untitled sequel will have a script by Alec Berg (Barry, Silicon Valley, Curb Your Enthusiasm), Jeff Schaffer (Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness; Dave; Curb Your Enthusiasm) and David Mandel (Veep, Curb Your Enthusiasm). The trio also worked on the 2003 Seuss adaptation The Cat in the Hat starring Mike Myers.
Released just ahead of Thanksgiving in 2000, How the Grinch Stole Christmas was the top movie of the year domestically with $260 million and earned a total of $345 million worldwide.
It also took home the best makeup Oscar for Rick Baker and Gail Rowell-Ryan, who transformed Carrey for the role. The process took around eight hours a day, and Carrey has recalled it being extremely difficult. As he told Vulture last year, he wanted to quit on day one of production and return his $20 million fee. He got through it with the help of a man who trained CIA agents to withstand torture, and thanks to the makeup eventually being reduced to three hours a day.
The story of the Grinch dates back to 1957, with Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) publishing the story inspired by his unhappiness with the commercialism overtaking Christmas. It told the story of the Grinch trying to ruin Christmas for the residents of Whoville by stealing their gifts. CBS made it as a 1966 animated special, with Boris Karloff voicing the narrator and the Grinch. Co-director Chuck Jones opted to make the Grinch green, a departure from the book’s black and white.
Taylor Momsen (left) and Jim Carrey in How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Courtesy of Everett Collection
The 2000 movie has become a durable hit on streaming, and has been among Nielsen’s top 10 most streamed holiday movies in each of the past five years. Last year in the two weeks ahead of and after Christmas (Dec. 15-Dec. 28), it peaked at No. 2 overall on the movies chart with 962 million minutes viewed, just below the perennial No. 1 champ Home Alone. Notably, Carrey’s Grinch movie also ranked ahead of the 2018 animated movie in those key two weeks on last year’s holiday streaming ratings chart. That Illumination and Universal feature, Dr. Seuss’ the Grinch, hit No. 8 in the week ahead of Dec. 25.
As for the new sequel, CEO Susan Brandt will oversee for Dr. Seuss Enterprises. Senior vp production development and special projects Britt Hennemuth and creative executive Christina Hoffrogge will oversee for Universal.
Howard is represented by CAA and Greenberg Glusker. Carrey is represented by WME and attorney Deborah Klein. Berg is represented by UTA and HJTH. Schaffer is represented by UTA and HJTH.
Mandel is represented by WME and HJTH. Imagine Entertainment is represented by CAA.
Dr. Seuss Enterprises is represented by CAA.
— Erik Hayden contributed to this story.
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