Though Captain Marvel is stealing all the headlines today thanks to the dazzling first trailer for Carol Danvers’ solo outing, there’s another film that’s also fighting for some of the spotlight, with The Grinch dropping its final preview this afternoon to tease what lies ahead for the classic Dr. Seuss character.
Directed by Yarrow Cheney and Scott Mosier, this is just the latest spin on the famous tale from 1957, with previous adaptations including Ron Howard’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which had Jim Carrey in the title role and the 1966 TV special, with Boris Karloff playing the part. There were a few others along the way as well, but now, it’s Benedict Cumberbatch’s turn to curse Who-ville with his unbearable cynicism.
Coming by way of Illumination, the industry powerhouse that also brought us Despicable Me, Sing, and the inescapable Minions movies, The Grinch looks very much like another animated winner for the studio, with this new trailer promising fun for the whole family and a new perspective on the classic story.
For more, here’s the official logline for The Grinch, courtesy of Illumination:
The Grinch tells the tale of a cynical grump who goes on a mission to steal Christmas, only to have his heart changed by a young girl’s generous holiday spirit. Funny, heartwarming and visually stunning, it’s a universal story about the spirit of Christmas and the indomitable power of optimism.
Benedict Cumberbatch lends his voice to the infamous Grinch, who lives a solitary life inside a cave on Mt. Crumpit with only his loyal dog, Max, for company. With a cave rigged with inventions and contraptions for his day-to-day needs, the Grinch only sees his neighbours in Who-ville when he runs out of food.
Whether The Grinch can reach the same impressive heights that the company’s other efforts have remains to be seen. After all, it’s a story we’ve already witnessed numerous times before (as mentioned above), but this latest take on it does seem to be a bit different, and the animation on display here looks great. With any luck, it’ll at least be better than the Jim Carrey version, which aside from the actor’s solid performance, didn’t offer much worth getting excited about.
