As we get deeper into the festive season, the two feature-length adaptations of Dr. Seuss’ iconic grump the Grinch will grow in popularity as millions of viewers check out both versions in huge numbers, either for the whimsical fantasy and heartwarming story, or because they identify with a title character who hates Christmas and people in equal measure.
Fans tend to be split on coming to a decision on whether Ron Howard’s live-action How the Grinch Stole Christmas or Illumination Entertainment’s animated The Grinch can definitively be called the better movie, but there’s no denying that stars Jim Carrey and Benedict Cumberbatch do great work as the famous green grouch.
Of course, Cumberbatch had it a lot easier after his performance took place entirely in the recording booth, while Carrey spent hours in the makeup chair on a daily basis, but he did grab a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for his efforts. And while the animated Grinch was the more successful of the two, coming in with a lower budget and earning more at the box office, insider Daniel Richtman now claims that Universal are developing another live-action film featuring the character and they want Carrey to return to play the lead role.
“New Grinch live action movie in the works at Universal and they want Jim Carrey back,” he says.
The 58 year-old notoriously had a torrid time dealing with the extensive application of his costume in the original, even threatening to quit during the early stages of filming, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas is hardly a movie that screams sequel or follow-up. However, that doesn’t matter in the slightest when there’s money to potentially be made, even though the big budget holiday release cost over $120 million to produce and managed a respectable, yet hardly blockbuster-sized return of $345 million.
