Will There Ever Be A Grinch Sequel? Here's What We Know
Everyone welcomes the spirit of Christmas, except for the cantankerous green-furred creature known as the Grinch, who is forever grumpy about holiday cheer and the joy it brings to people. The character originated in Dr. Seuss's 1957 children's story titled "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."
The children's story was adapted into "The Grinch," a 3D computer-animated movie in 2018, featuring Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice actor for the green curmudgeon. Like in the books, the film followed the mean-tempered, pot-bellied creature as he resides on the snowy Mount Crumpit, located in the town of Whoville, the home of human-like people known as Whos.
The Grinch is always miserable, but his distress worsens during the holiday season, as the people in his town participate in larger-than-life Christmas festivities. Whoville takes the holiday seriously and transforms itself into a Christmas wonderland of its own, which doesn't go by well for our mean green friend.
"The Grinch" is the third screen adaptation of the story, following the notable 1996 television special and Jim Carrey's popular live-action movie from 2000. It became the highest-grossing holiday film of all time after earning $512 million in just two years. Isn't that an achievement significant enough to warrant a sequel?
What Can The Grinch Sequel Be About?
"The Grinch" was released just in time for Christmas in November 2018, and although we've heard about the film's success over the years, there are no whispers of a sequel going around. Now, that doesn't mean that there will never be a sequel. As long as the leading voice cast and Illumination Entertainment are on board, a sequel can be a possibility to explore.
It's already established that the Grinch isn't the same monster with a heart "two sizes too small" from films past anymore, and he admires Christmas (as long as he has company), and even befriends Cindy Lou following her invitation to a Christmas dinner. A sequel could traverse along the same path and follow the Grinch, his companion Max, and new friend Cindy as they celebrate a new holiday season together.
In contrast to his cynical personality and attempts to assuage his misery surrounding Christmas, young children might enjoy seeing the Grinch adopt the joy of the holiday for once!
Will The Cast Return For The Grinch Sequel?
I sure hope so! Benedict Cumberbatch's iteration of the character was refreshing and positively Grinch-y, and quite different from Jim Carrey's version of the creature. Cumberbatch's versatility made him the best candidate for the role, and he did not disappoint.
While we'd expect the star to take up voice acting responsibilities for the film once more, new characters would require new actors to fill the positions. Another cast member that could return in a potential sequel would be Cameron Seely, who played Cindy. Her friendship and empathy towards the Grinch made her an irreplaceable character, and if a sequel is greenlit, she should undoubtedly reprise her role!
"The Grinch" was a visually stunning movie that encouraged fans of the character to revisit the original Dr. Seuss story on a larger scale. The computer-animated film had more scope to recreate the grandeur of Christmas in Whoville, as compared to the live-action. Here's hoping the announcement for a sequel arrives in time for Christmas!