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Credit: Universal Pictures2000’s Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (AKA, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, or The Grinch) is a bona fide classic.
Starring Jim Carrey in the titular role–perhaps one of the wackiest performances of his career (there must be something about the actor going completely green)–the film is based upon Dr. Seuss’ 1957 children’s book of the same name (one of the first two title options back there).
Directed by Ron Howard (Apollo 13, The Da Vinci Code), the film is seemingly targeted towards a younger audience, much like the book.
However, there’s innuendo to boot and the film is oddly creepy in parts–strangely enough, Jim Carrey‘s should-be-terrifying, mountain-dwelling creature is among the more palatable inhabitants (alongside Taylor Momsen’s adorable Cindy Lou); it’s the Whos in Whoville who look like something out of a fever dream (the Dutch camera angles and claustrophobic close-ups don’t help).
Watch the official trailer for Jim Carrey’s The Grinch below:
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Nevertheless, The Grinch grossed $346.5M (against its $123M budget) and became a festive pastime for many. Despite its hyper-zany approach to the already-whimsical source material, there’s still a beating heart at its core (one that starts off two sizes too small, of course).
The film also boasts remarkable set-pieces from start to finish, which, along with all the other seasonal décor, entrench the viewer in the festivities. Ultimately, though, it’s Carrey’s performance as The Grinch that cements this film in the annals of Christmas movie history.
Though the green, Christmas-hating grump has since been portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch in the 2018 animated adaptation from Illumination, Carrey’s iteration remains the most iconic and familiar. So much, in fact, that the likeness was re-created for the Universal Studios version of the character. And now, Jim Carrey’s The Grinch has returned.
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The Grinch–whose design is modeled off of Carrey’s along with his sarcastic quips and mannerisms–is now meeting guests in the popular candy store Honk Honkers in Universal’s Islands of Adventure at Universal Studios Orlando. Naturally, the store has been transformed to resemble his home at the top of Mount Crumpit, as seen in the 2000 film.
And, just like in the film when The Grinch steals Christmas from all the Whos, he’s wearing his Santa Claus outfit, equipped with a sleigh and a bag stuffed full of presents (which, more than likely, belong to all the residents of Whoville). Universal Studios photographers are on hand to snap pictures of your memorable moments with this green merry-less miser.
But the Grinchmas festivities at Universal’s Islands of Adventure don’t end there–Seuss Landing has been kitted out with Christmas decorations from Whoville where you can mingle with the residents (they’re not quite as terrifying as they are in the film); there’s also The Grinchmas™ Who-liday Spectacular, a live retelling of the classic tale, with performances starting at Seuss Landing on November 22.
Are you a fan of Jim Carrey’s The Grinch? Would you like to see him return in a more cinematic capacity? Let us know in the comments down below!