Someone get Taylor Momsen on the horn and tell her to take a break from touring with her band, The Pretty Reckless, because the Grinch is back, baby! According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal and Imagine Entertainment are developing a sequel to 2000’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, with several players returning for another Christmas-themed adventure in Whoville.
There’s no deal yet, but Jim Carrey is expected to reprise his role as the Grinch, with Ron Howard returning to direct and produce alongside his Imagine Entertainment partner Brian Grazer. The untitled sequel boasts 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 tale of the Grinch dates back to 1957, when Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) published the story, inspired by his unhappiness with the commercialism overtaking Christmas. The heartwarming yarn revolves around a green, revenge-seeking Grinch (Jim Carrey) who plans to ruin Christmas for the people of Whoville. While doing his best to ruin the holiday, a young girl, Cindy Loo Who (Taylor Momsen), teaches the Grinch the true meaning of Christmas, making his black heart grow three sizes.
I’m shocked that Carrey would be willing to reprise his role as the Grinch. Granted, he hasn’t signed a deal yet, but I’m sure it’s just a matter of time. He’s been vocal about the exhaustive and painful process of transforming into the Grinch, which involved eight hours of makeup a day. Carrey became so claustrophobic inside the costume that the studio hired a trained CIA agent to teach him how to endure torture. The makeup department eventually reduced Carrey’s time in the chair to three hours, but by then, the process had already done damage to Carrey’s psyche.
It was all worth it, seeing as How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a holiday classic, and is hailed by many as their favorite Christmas movie of all time. Not me, though. My favorite Christmas movie is The Muppet Christmas Carol, followed by Scrooged, Trapped in Paradise, and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Die Hard, too. I don’t care what anyone says, in my house, we watch Die Hard during the holidays.
What do you think about Universal and Imagine Entertainment giving a green light to How the Grinch Stole Christmas 2? Let us know in the comments section below.