Dr. Seuss' The Grinch (or simply The Grinch) is a 2018 American animated Christmas comedy film based on How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss. Produced by Universal Pictures and Illumination, it was directed by Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney and written by Michael LeSieur and Tommy Swerdlow. Narrated by Pharrell Williams, the film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the Grinch, with Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, and Angela Lansbury in supporting roles. The plot follows the Grinch, who plans to stop Whoville's Christmas celebration by stealing all the town's decorations and gifts, with his pet dog Max.
The film is the third screen adaptation of the book, following the 1966 television special and the 2000 live-action film. It was announced in 2013 with Peter Candeland set to direct, and by 2016, Cumberbatch was cast, and Cheney later joined to co-direct while produced from Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy, and Mosier, and Latifa Ouaou, Audrey Geisel and Chris Renaud to executive produce. However, in 2018, Mosier took over Candeland's position as co-director upon the trailer's release, but Candleland remained credited for Additional Story Direction for the film. Danny Elfman composed the score, with a reworked version of You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch, with singer Tyler, the Creator, and an original song written and performed by Tyler.
The Grinch was released in the United States on November 9, 2018. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $553million, becoming the highest-grossing Christmas film in history, as well as the highest-grossing Dr. Seuss film adaptation.
Plot
In the town of Whoville, the Whos are filled with excitement about celebrating Christmas. However, the only one who is not thrilled is the grumpy, cantankerous and green-furred Grinch, whose heart is "two sizes too small". He lives in his cave with his dog, Max, and only goes into Whoville to buy groceries.
One day, 6-year-old Cindy Lou Who notices her single mother Donna is overworked trying to take care of herself and her twin infant brothers, Buster and Bean. Cindy Lou initially decides to send a letter to Santa Claus to help her mother, but after an encounter with the Grinch, who sarcastically tells her that, if the matter is so urgent, she will have to talk to Santa face-to-face about it, she decides to go to the North Pole to talk to Santa himself. When Donna tells her that a round trip to the North Pole would take a month, she instead decides to try trapping Santa with the help of her friends.
Following a failed attempt to sabotage Whoville's tree-lighting ceremony, the Grinch experiences several flashbacks to his unhappy childhood. Overwhelmed, he resolves to steal Christmas from the Whos to alleviate his distress. He and Max acquire a fat reindeer, whom the Grinch calls Fred, and steal a sleigh from his neighbor Bricklebaum. After a test run, the Grinch and Max discover that Fred has a family, and the Grinch emotionally agrees to let Fred go home with them.
On Christmas Eve, after making a Santa Claus disguise and crafting dozens of gadgets to help him with his plan, the Grinch and Max, who pulls the sleigh in Fred's place, go down to Whoville to steal the decorations and presents. He soon encounters Cindy Lou after falling into her trap. Her request to help lighten her mother's workload and her advice about listening to the Whos' singing to alleviate his sadness touches the Grinch's heart. Despite this, the Grinch continues his mission, unable to let go of the loneliness Christmas brought him.
The Grinch and Max head back to Mount Crumpit to dispose of the gifts. The Whos wake up and are shocked and disappointed to see that the presents and decorations are gone. Cindy Lou believes that she is to blame because of her trap, but Donna tells her that Christmas is not centered on presents and that Cindy Lou is the greatest gift she has ever received. The Whos join to sing "Welcome Christmas", rendering the Grinch puzzled to see that they are celebrating Christmas despite his thefts. Seeing Cindy Lou and remembering her guidance, he immerses himself in their singing, causing his shrunken heart to triple in size.
Afterwards, the sleigh begins to fall off Mount Crumpit, and the Grinch attempts to save it. He succeeds when Fred and his family come to his aid. After securing the sleigh, the Grinch and Max slide down back to Whoville in order to return the stolen items, and the remorseful Grinch apologizes to the Whos before returning to his cave.
Feeling sorry for the Grinch, Cindy Lou later invites him and Max to celebrate Christmas at her house which he awkwardly attends. When seated for dinner, he realizes that it was not really Christmas he despised, but rather his solitude and bitterness over being neglected. With this, the Grinch finally accepts the Whos' friendship and enjoys Christmas with them with a toast.
Voice cast Benedict Cumberbatch as the Grinch, a cave-dwelling, green-furred creature who hates Christmas. Cameron Seely as Cindy Lou Who, a kind-hearted young resident of Whoville. Rashida Jones as Donna Who, Cindy Lou's overworked single mother. Kenan Thompson as Bricklebaum, a jolly citizen of Whoville who lives near The Grinch and thinks that The Grinch is his best friend. Angela Lansbury as Mayor McGerkle, the Mayor of Whoville who oversees the tree-lighting ceremony. Pharrell Williams as the Narrator. Tristan O'Hare as Groopert, Cindy Lou's best friend. Sam Lavagnino as Ozzy, one of Cindy Lou's friends. Ramone Hamilton as Axl, one of Cindy Lou's friends. Scarlett Estevez as Izzy, one of Cindy Lou's friends. Michael Beattie as a store clerk. Bill Farmer as Sam, a bus driver who is friends with Donna.
A recording of Pentatonix' "God Rest You Merry Gentlemen" is used for the carolers who stalk the Grinch.
Georgia Toffolo provides the voice of Mrs. Toffee Apple (a customer who was trying to reach a jar of "Christmas chutney") in one scene in the UK release.
Production Development In February 2013, Illumination was developing a 3D animated feature film based on the Dr. Seuss book, with the working title How the Grinch Stole Christmas, later shortened to The Grinch, with Peter Candeland attached to direct. In 2017, Yarrow Cheney joins Candeland to co-direct from a screenplay by Michael LeSieur and will be produced by Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy and Scott Mosier, whom directed the Sing short Eddie's Life Coach, while Audrey Geisel and Chris Renaud, whom previously directed Seuss' previous animated adaptation from Illumination, The Lorax, to executive produce.
However, in early 2018, Mosier took over from Candeland upon the trailer's release while Cheney remained onboard to co-direct the film, though Candeland was credited for Additional Story Direction after the film's release upon his contribution. Following the cast announcement for the film, Tommy Swerdlow was announced to co-write the screenplay with LeSieur while Puss in Boots producer Latifa Ouaou joined to executive produce alongside Geisel and Renaud.
This was the final Dr. Seuss film adaptation to be released during the lifetime of Seuss's widow Audrey Geisel, who served as executive producer of the film and died on December 19, 2018, five weeks after the film's release.
Casting Benedict Cumberbatch was cast as the titular character in April 2016. Illumination originally wanted Cumberbatch to voice the Grinch in his natural accent, but Cumberbatch felt that since the rest of the cast is American, the Grinch himself should have an American accent. By September 2018, Angela Lansbury had been set to voice the Mayor of Whoville. Rashida Jones, Cameron Seely, and Kenan Thompson also joined the cast, while Pharrell Williams, who had previously worked on Illumination's Despicable Me films, was revealed to be narrating the film.
Animation The animation was created by Illumination Mac Guff in Paris, France. Several software programs were used in creating the film's CGI characters including Maya, ZBrush, and Nuke as well as in-house software. A 3D CGI model of the town of Whoville through which a virtual camera could travel was crafted using Maya, ZBrush, Foundry's Mari, and Allegorithmic's Substance Painter.
Music
Danny Elfman composed the film's score. Tyler, the Creator wrote a new song for the film titled "I Am the Grinch". Tyler and Elfman collaborated on a new version of the song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" for the film, which was featured in the final trailer, and early on in the film itself. The score and soundtrack albums were released (both digitally and on CD) and the film.
Release Theatrical The film was originally scheduled to be released on November 10, 2017, but it was pushed back to November 9, 2018, almost a year after the film's original release date.
Marketing Beginning in October, various billboards appeared for the film, each featuring an image of the Grinch, accompanied by a mean or ironic message. Universal and Illumination partnered with several companies to promote the film, including Wonderful Pistachios, Ebates, IHOP and 23andme for about $80million worth of advertising. All-in-all the studio spent an estimated $121million promoting the film worldwide. To promote the film, a giant inflatable balloon featuring the titular character first appeared at the 91st Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on November 23, 2017, 1 year ahead of its release. Later in December 2018, The Grinch and Max also made cameos in that year's WNBC/WNJU holiday sing along promo.
Home media The film was released on Digital HD on January 22, 2019, and on DVD, Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, and Ultra HD Blu-ray on February 5. In addition to the short film Yellow is the New Black (which was released theatrically with the feature film), the releases also include two new short films: The Dog Days of Winter, and Santa's Little Helpers.
Reception Box office The Grinch grossed $272.5million in the United States and Canada, and $280.5million in other countries, for a total worldwide gross of $553million, against a production budget of $75million. Deadline Hollywood calculated the film's net profit as $184.6million, accounting for production budgets, marketing, talent participations, and other costs; box office grosses and home media revenues placed it ninth on their list of 2018's "Most Valuable Blockbusters". It was Universal's second best-performing film of 2018 behind Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
In the United States and Canada, The Grinch was released alongside The Girl in the Spider's Web and Overlord, and was projected to gross $55–65million from 4,140 theaters in its opening weekend. It made $18.7million on its first day, including $2.2million from Thursday night previews, more than the $1.7million taken in by Illumination's Sing in 2016. It went on to debut to $67.6million, finishing first at the box office and topping the 2000 film's $55million opening. In its second weekend the film made $38.2million, finishing second behind newcomer Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. In its third weekend the film made $30.2million (including $42million over the five-day Thanksgiving period), finishing fourth. In its fourth and fifth weekends, the film finished second behind Ralph Breaks the Internet, grossing $17.9million and $15.0million, respectively. It marked the first-ever time animated films were the top two films at the box office in back-to-back weekends.
Critical response