Twenty-six years after he first squeezed into a mountain of fur and makeup to terrorize Whoville, Jim Carrey may be returning as the Grinch. Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have confirmed they are developing a sequel to the 2000 holiday classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas, with Ron Howard expected to return to the director’s chair.
The original film, based on Dr. Seuss’s beloved story, was a massive box office success, earning more than 350 million dollars at a time when that kind of number was practically unheard of for a holiday family film. It remains one of the most quoted and rewatched Christmas movies of the last three decades, largely thanks to Carrey’s manic, full-throttle performance as the green, Christmas-hating recluse of Mount Crumpit.
If the sequel moves forward, Carrey has previously hinted he would be open to returning, though not without a major change to the process. Speaking to ComicBook.com in 2024, Carrey reflected on just how grueling the original’s makeup process really was. He described being covered in extensive prosthetics for hours, struggling to breathe, and pushing through purely because, as he put it, it was for the kids. This time around, he has expressed interest in using motion capture technology instead, which would free him from the punishing physical demands of practical makeup while still bringing the Grinch’s exaggerated, rubber-faced expressions to life.
The script is being developed by a writing team with serious comedy pedigree: Alec Berg, known for Barry and Silicon Valley, alongside Jeff Schaffer and David Mandel, both veterans of Veep and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Brian Grazer, who co-founded Imagine Entertainment with Howard and produced the original film, is expected to return as producer as well.
It is worth noting that talks are still in early stages, and as is often the case with major studio sequels, there is no guarantee the project will make it to the screen in its currently discussed form. But the pairing of Carrey and Howard, reuniting more than two decades after their first Seussian adventure together, is exactly the kind of nostalgic news that tends to get fans excited the moment it leaks.
For a generation that grew up quoting “and they found that the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day,” the idea of a real sequel, not an animated reboot, but an actual continuation with Carrey back in the role, is the kind of holiday surprise that feels almost too good to be true. Whether it actually reaches theaters remains to be seen, but for now, Whoville may be getting visitors once again.
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