It’s going to be merry Grinchmas all over again. Universal and Imagine Entertainment are developing a sequel to 2000’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, with three key players expected to return.
No deal is done, but Jim Carrey is in talks to reprise his role as the classic Dr. Seuss character the Grinch, with Ron Howard returning to direct. Howard will produce alongside his Imagine Entertainment partner Brian Grazer.
The untitled sequel will have 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 trio also worked on the 2003 Seuss adaptation The Cat in the Hat starring Mike Myers.
Released just ahead of Thanksgiving in 2000, How The Grinch Stole Christmas was the top movie of the year domestically with $260 million and earning a total of $345 worldwide.
It also took home the best makeup Oscar for Rick Baker and Gail Rowell-Ryan, who transformed Carrey for the role. The process took around eight hours a day, and Carrey has recalled it being extremely difficult. As he told Vulture last year, he wanted to quit on day one of production and return his $20 million fee. He got through it with the help of a man who trained CIA agents to withstand torture, as well as thanks to the makeup eventually being reduced to three hours a day.
