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Benedict Cumberbatchs $540 million hit Dr. Seuss remake climbs the streaming charts some six years after its release. Cumberbatch rose to fame playing the titular role in BBC's Sherlock, an updated reimagining of the Sherlock Holmes story, with Martin Freeman playing Dr. Watson. Following the success of the show, Cumberbatch became known to a global audience for his role of Dr. Stephen Strange in the MCU, getting a solo movie and then playing a prominent role in Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, which became the highest-grossing movie of all-time on its initial release.

Critical acclaim was soon to follow with Academy Award nominations for Best Actor, for The Imitation Game, and The Power of the Dog. He has also enjoyed roles in period dramas such as Atonement, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and 12 Years A Slave, as well as a range of work on stage. No stranger to blockbuster movies,...

As the Annecy Animation Festival gets underway, Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation president Ramsey Naito has revealed development on a string of original films — including the Bad Bunny- and Will Ferrell-produced film “Dropz” and a “Swan Lake” adaptation — which will sit alongside franchises such as Transformers, Smurfs and SpongeBob.

Naito describes “Dropz” as “our E.T. about real kids in a super extraordinary situation.” Producers Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum and David Koplan have teamed up with Bad Bunny, who is on board as an exec producer. Rob Letterman is directing and co-writing the script with Ike Holter. Naito adds that the story is “infused with fashion” and will be a “cultural statement” for kids and families.

“Muttnik” is a sci-fi comedy about a sweet puppy turned “Han Solo-type space bandit,” who is forced to return to the family on Earth that abandoned him. Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Zareh Nalbandian are producing.

A Complete Guide to the Best Grinch Movies and TV Shows Out There(Photo Credit –IMDb)

The grumpy Grinch, known for his dislike of all things Christmas, has always been a staple of mainstream media during the holidays, thanks to Dr. Suess’s children’s book “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” But it’s the young adults of this generation that relate to this green goblin more than children do. He’s a mean-spirited, cynical, and sarcastic creature who just does not get the appeal of Christmas. He doesn’t enjoy the racket that Christmas causes and prefers to be in a quiet, peaceful place instead. But when the folks of Whoville go too far with their festivities, he vows to destroy Christmas once and for all.

The Grinch is undeniably fascinating. There have been multiple adaptations of him across the film industry centering around the premise of him trying to ruin Christmas.

One cannot understate the popularity of Ron Howard's over-designed 2000 winter holiday film "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Although made for an exorbitant budget of $123 million, "Grinch" would earn over $345 million worldwide and become a Christmastime staple in many a home. This despite being a bloated, 105-minute expansion of a 1957 Dr. Seuss picture book that was only 64 pages.

Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" was previously adapted into a 25-minute TV special in 1966, which itself garnered animated follow-ups in 1977 and 1982. Since 2000, the book was also made into a 2007 stage musical, a 2018 animated film called merely "The Grinch," and a 2020 filmed version of the stage production. 2022 also saw the release of a horror spoof of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" called "The Mean One."

This is all in addition to an unending deluge of Grinch-themed merchandise that floods malls every winter holiday season. The merch, some might say,...

Features the voices of: Benedict Cumberbatch, Cameron Seely, Rashida Jones, Pharrell Williams, Tristan O’Hare, Kenan Thompson, Angela Lansbury | Written by Michael LeSieur, Tommy Swerdlow | Directed by Yarrow Cheney, Scott Mosier

The Grinch tells the story 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. Academy Award® nominee Benedict Cumberbatch lends his voice to the infamous Grinch, who lives a solitary life inside a cave on Mt. Crumpet 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 neighbors in Whoville when he runs out of food. Each year at Christmas they disrupt his tranquil solitude with their increasingly bigger,...

A major hit over the recent holiday season was Illumination’s animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas. The movie from the studio most known for its Despicable Me franchise was a major success as its $500+ million managed to finally knock Home Alone off the top spot to be proclaimed as the highest-grossing Christmas movie of all-time. The Grinch‘s charming, funny festive tale was probably the main draw, but it can’t have hurt that it had a big name as its lead voice in the form of the one and only Benedict Cumberbatch.

On previous occasions, the Grinch had been played by horror icon Boris Karloff and comedy legend Jim Carrey, so clearly there’s no one type of actor who can portray the green grouch. With that in mind, why did the filmmakers go for Cumberbatch for their take on the classic children’s story?...

With Tuesday’s numbers included, Illumination and Universal Pictures’ The Grinch steered the sleigh across the half-billion mark worldwide. The split is $270M domestic and $231M at the international box office for $501M global. This is the 6th title from the folks at Chris Meledandri’s animation powerhouse to reach $500M.

Domestically known as Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, the Benedict Cumberbatch-voiced update on the Christmas classic opened No. 1 with $67.6M in November. That gave Illumination its 7th No. 1 bow with the movie going on to become the 6th highest-grossing title of 2018 and the 2nd biggest animated film of the year in North America.

Overseas, where Dr Seuss is not well-known outside the English-speaking markets and Germany, the movie was titled simply The Grinch and has remained in the Top 10 for nine consecutive weeks. It opened No. 1 in 30 territories, including the UK, France, Australia, Spain, Mexico, Norway, India, Thailand, Vietnam,...

Illumination and Universal Pictures’ “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” has surpassed the $500 million mark at the worldwide box office, making it the sixth Illumination movie to reach the half-billion mark.

The film’s opening weekend grossed $67.7 million (Illumination’s seventh no. 1 opening) and has since grossed $270 million domestically. That makes it the sixth-highest grossing film of 2018 and the second-highest grossing animated film of the year.

The film also opened no. 1 in 30 territories that included Norway, Mongolia, Thailand, Iceland, Romania, France, Spain, Belgium, Greece and New Zealand. Internationally, the film has earned $231 million.

Also Read: 'The Grinch' Pilfers $66 Million at Box Office

Worldwide, “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” was the highest-grossing opening for a Christmas-themed movie and has since become the highest-grossing Christmas-themed movie ever — as well as the biggest Dr. Seuss film ever.

“Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” featured the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch as the infamous Grinch, who lives alone in a cave on Mt.

The Christmas Chronicles

Stars: Kurt Russell, Darby Camp, Judah Lewis, Oliver Hudson, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Debra Wilson, Kari Wahlgren, Andrew Morgado, Debi Derryberry, Michael Yurchak, Jessica Lowe | Written by Matt Lieberman | Directed by Clay Kaytis

The story of sister and brother, Kate and Teddy Pierce, whose Christmas Eve plan to catch Santa Claus on camera turns into an unexpected journey that most kids could only dream about.

Netflix’s The Christmas Chronicles has only one factor that kept it out of the clutches of a dollar bin – the absurdly affectionate performance of Kurt Russell as Santa Claus. A role in which he revels in with humorous and lively exploits. The rest is your standard merit of a traditional direct-to-video treatment that has moments of entertainment but stagnates in saturated genre convention. Russell steals the show undoubtedly. His charisma and charm is the lifeblood of the picture. A wonderfully exuberant and joyous role is clearly on display,...

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Photo: Sony Pictures Animation).

Sony Animation’s Spider-Man reboot swung into Australian cinemas last weekend but trailed Universal/Illumination’s powerhouse The Grinch, which ruled again in its third frame.

Andre Rieu fans turned out for his concert filmed at Sydney Town Hall while Fox’s M-rated Once Upon a Deadpool had a middling start, in line with its Us debut.

Meanwhile Peter Jackson, Universal Pictures and co-financiers Media Rights Capital and Perfect World Pictures are facing a write-off of $100 million or more on Mortal Engines, which bombed in the Us.

Bruce Beresford’s Ladies in Black is winding down after 13 weeks, having generated $11.9 million for Sony.

Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma, which chronicles a turbulent year in the lives of a middle-class family in 1970s Mexico City, is having a brief run in a handful of cinemas including the Ritz, Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace Cremorne and...

In the competitive world of feature animation, it takes more than an entertaining yarn and a bit of slapstick comedy to cut through the noise. To make an impact at the box office in 2018—and at the Oscars, heading now into its 91st go-round—filmmakers are called upon to pursue a new standard of excellence, going back to the drawing board with each new effort, and finding exciting ways to break the mold.

Leading the charge as regular contenders for Best Animated Feature since the category was created in 2001, Walt Disney Studios, and its Bay area subsidiary Pixar, once again enter the field of 25 films, with two projects that embody the category’s ideals. First, there’s Incredibles 2, Brad Bird’s return to the groundbreaking superhero world he established in 2004. Sending the Parr family off on new adventures, the film easily achieved hard-to-get hit sequel status, setting a record for best debut for an animated film—with a gross of $182.7 million in its opening weekend—on the way to becoming the second highest-grossing animated pic of all time, second only to Disney’s own Frozen, in fact.

Bowing just a few weeks ago, Ralph Breaks the Internet transcended that same sequel challenge. A follow-up to the beloved Wreck-It Ralph, this iteration from Phil Johnston and Rich Moore (the writer and director behind the Oscar-winning Zootopia) capitalizes on the boundless world the original set up, following compelling video game characters (and best friends) Ralph and Vanellope into the Internet. Impeccably designed, the film visualizes the web as it’s never been seen before, offering up thoughtful satire on the culture embedded within the information superhighway, with a timely critique of Disney princess tropes and the ideas about gender that have circulated for as long as stories have been told.

Bearing in mind that Disney-produced offerings have won the Animation Oscar in 10 out of the last 11 years—in an unprecedented stretch—competing studios are working tirelessly to up their game, in hopes of breaking the behemoth’s spell. The top candidate to do so this year would have to be Fox Searchlight, with Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs. The second stop-motion outing from the critically praised auteur, the film follows a Japanese boy living in the retrofuture, on a quest to find his missing dog. Lovingly crafted by hand, the film features an astonishing assortment of environments and gorgeously sculpted characters, pushing the medium of stop-motion and bending towards Anderson’s signature stylings. It opened the 68th Berlin International Film Festival, where its director was awarded the Silver Bear.

Another pillar of stop-motion—behind such classics as Chicken Run and Wallace and Gromit—Nick Park has won four Oscars to date, and looks to compete again with Aardman Animations’ Early Man. Set at the dawn of time, the comedy takes an altogether new angle on history, following a group of cavemen as they face off against the powers of the Bronze Age in a football match, with life as they know it at stake.

Four other studios are also making a run at Oscar. A major presence in the animation conversation since its inception in 2007, Illumination Entertainment is back with Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, directed by Yarrow Cheney and first-timer Scott Mosier. The third adaptation of a classic 1957 tale by the beloved children’s author, this version sees Benedict Cumberbatch tap into the withered spirit of the iconic green curmudgeon, setting out to ruin Christmas for those poor Whos of Whoville yet again. Also featuring the voices of Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, Cameron Seely and Angela Lansbury—with narration by Pharrell Williams—Illumination’s film sought to pay reverential homage to Seuss’ work, while making it feel fresh, introducing the Grinch to a new generation of viewers.

From Sony Pictures Animation, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse really shakes things up. A postmodern take on Spidey—and the first-ever animated film centering on Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s iconic creation—the immersive, action-and-laugh-packed flick brings the style of vintage comic books to CG animation, playing with form, and employing meta-level self-awareness. From innovative producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, this Spider-Man film is the first to star Miles Morales—an Afro-Latino version of the character existing within a Marvel multiverse. The film introduces the viewer to parallel dimensions and several Spider-people, demonstrating that there’s no single definition of a superhero. Anyone can wear the mask, so long as they’re willing to stand up for what’s right.

Also on the Sony slate is Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, the latest installment in a franchise from Genndy Tartakovsky, which takes Dracula away from the comforts of his hotel, and out onto the sea, where new characters including Van Helsing (voiced by Jim Gaffigan) emerge.

At Paramount, John Stevenson brings his skill to Sherlock Gnomes, a sequel to 2011’s Gnomeo & Juliet. It sends a band of garden gnomes out into a different genre and setting, as Sherlock Gnomes investigates the mysterious disappearance of garden ornaments in contemporary London. Executive produced by Elton John, the film even features some captivating Elton originals.

Rounding out the studio offerings this year is Warner Bros., with Smallfoot—centered on a Yeti who is convinced humans don’t exist—and Teen Titans Go! To The Movies, based on a popular television series, involving the exploits of DC superheroes.

On the international front, it can take even more craft to draw Oscar’s attention—and yet in 2018, the animation shortlist is as diverse as it’s ever been, with submissions from Mexico (Ana y Bruno), China (Have a Nice Day), and Taiwan (On Happiness Road). One of three particular stand-outs is Ruben, Brandt Collector, Sony Pictures Classics’ R-rated art and cinema pastiche from 66-year-old first-time director Milorad Krstić, who weaves a tapestry of all of the works of art that have consumed him over the years. From Gkids, Mfkz is based on a comic series of the same name and follows one of many deadbeats making his way through the violent Dark Meat City. Also on the dystopian front, Shout! Factory’s Tito and the Birds (Brazil) paints a picture of a world where fear manifests as a disease, and a villain (inspired by President Donald Trump) weaponizes mass hysteria for his own malevolent purposes. Notably, this season’s list features a record eight films produced in Japan, many of which strive to take anime to new heights. These include Fireworks, The Laws of the Universe – Part I, two films from Masaaki Yuasa, Mamoru Hosoda’s Mirai, Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms from first-time director Mari Okada, and Liz and the Blue Bird from Naoko Yamada.

Completing the list of contenders this year are Tall Tales, coming out of France, and Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero, from director Richard Lanni. Providing some resolution in a season with an overabundance of solid works, the Oscar nominations will be announced on January 22, 2019.

‘Mortal Engines’. (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures)

Following on from middling reviews, Universal’s Mortal Engines, produced and co-written by Peter Jackson, couldn’t match The Grinch, Bohemian Rhapsody or Creed II at the Aussie box office last weekend.

Directed by Christian Rivers and based on the novel by Philip Reeve, the Nz-shot sci-fi starring Hera Hilmar and Hugo Weaving opened on $1.4 million from 327 screens. Due to release in the Us this week, it totalled just $US18 million in 43 international markets over the weekend.

Illumination/Universal’s The Grinch stole the number one spot in Oz its second round, reaping $2.5 million from 323 screens – a fall of only 11 per cent. Co-directed by Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney, the animated Dr. Seuss adaptation features a voice cast that includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Cameron Seely and Rashida Jones. In total, the film has amassed $7.4 million to date in Australia, $US223.5 million in North America and $US322.4 million internationally.

‘Creed II’ (Photo: Warner Bros).

MGM/Warner Bros’ Creed sequel and Universal/Illumination’s The Grinch understandably didn’t pack the punch of their stellar Us debuts in Australian cinemas last weekend – but the former opened far better than the original and the latter is positioned to trade strongly as school holidays approach.

Mks Retail’s science-fiction thriller 2.0. attracted plenty of Bollywood fans but it will need to make a motza given the reported budget of ₹543 crore ($A106 million).

Among the limited releases, Palace’s Normandy Nude and Transmission’s Lean on Pete struggled and Universal’s zany comedy Sorry to Bother You resonated strongly on just four screens.

Louis Theroux admirers turned up for Sharmill Films’ alternate content release Love Without Limits at upscale venues such as Cinema Nova but in lesser numbers at other locations.

The top 20 titles harvested $14.8 million, virtually flat with the previous weekend, according to Numero.

Avid fans of the Dr. Seuss canon that were excited to bring one of the author’s most well-known characters to life in a new animated iteration, Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney set out on a long process of trial and error, seeking to bring a freshness to The Grinch. The third adaptation of a classic 1957 children’s book, Illumination Entertainment’s latest would place Benedict Cumberbatch in the role of the iconic green curmudgeon, setting out to ruin Christmas for those pesky Whos of Whoville once and for all.

Making his feature debut alongside veteran Cheney, Mosier had produced a 3D animated film in 2013—Free Birds, starring Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson—getting a “crash course” in the form. So, when it came to The Grinch, the challenge wasn’t learning the ropes—it was taking a pre-existing world and fleshing its 60-something pages out, playing with story, character and world design where possible,...

For the third major retelling of Dr. Seuss' classic tale How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Illumination Entertainment decided to go back to the mean one's very roots. Instead of taking their cues from Chuck Jones' famous 1966 TV version, featuring the voice of Boris Karloff as both the narrator and the Grinch, or cribbing from Ron Howard's 2000 live-action version — in which Jim Carrey starred in green-face — filmmakers picked up Seuss' original 1957 children's book.

Scott Mosier, who along with Yarrow Cheney directed the new computer-animated The Grinch, which Universal will release Nov. 9 — just in ...

For the third major retelling of Dr. Seuss' classic tale How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Illumination Entertainment decided to go back to the mean one's very roots. Instead of taking their cues from Chuck Jones' famous 1966 TV version, featuring the voice of Boris Karloff as both the narrator and the Grinch, or cribbing from Ron Howard's 2000 live-action version — in which Jim Carrey starred in green-face — filmmakers picked up Seuss' original 1957 children's book.

Scott Mosier, who along with Yarrow Cheney directed the new computer-animated The Grinch, which Universal will release Nov. 9 — just in ...

Update, writethru…: Thrashing to a massive China start, Sony’s Venom has reclaimed the No. 1 spot at the worldwide and international box office this weekend. Chomping on $111M in the Middle Kingdom, the Tom Hardy-starrer is the 2nd best bow there ever for a superhero title, the 5th best for an imported film and Sony’s biggest China launch of all time.

As we noted on Saturday, the China performance was powering Venom across the $600M mark globally, and with $673.5M through Sunday, Ruben Fleischer’s take on the Marvel property will soon see the other side of $700M. The overall overseas session was worth $118.2M on 44,700+ screens in 66 markets for an offshore cume of $467.3M.

The China debut makes Venom just the second superhero movie ever to hit the century mark during a 3-day Middle Kingdom bow, behind only Avengers: Infinity War. Audience reaction has been great,...

His heart may be small, but that doesn’t mean his box office returns will be.

“Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” is looking to top the weekend box office in its debut with an estimated $67 million from 4,141 North American locations.

Benedict Cumberbatch voices the titular green Whoville denizen in Universal’s new adaptation of Seuss’ 1957 story from Illumination. Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney directed the Yuletide pic from a screenplay by Michael LeSieur and Tommy Swerdlow. Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, Cameron Seely, and Angela Lansbury also lent their voices to the feature, with Pharrell Williams narrating and music by Danny Elfman.

The film has an early Rotten Tomatoes score of 54% and has landed an A- CinemaScore.

The last “Grinch” adaptation, 2000’s instant classic “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” starring Jim Carrey and directed by Ron Howard, earned $55 million in its opening weekend, giving this year’s animated version a significant box office edge.

Holiday season has already started for “The Grinch” as it heads for a merry $61 million opening weekend at 4,140 North American locations, early estimates showed Friday.

Universal-Illumination’s animated comedy is performing right in line with forecasts of between $55 million and $65 million this weekend. Fox’s second weekend of “Bohemian Rhapsody” should lead the rest of the pack with about $28 million. Newcomers “The Girl in the Spider’s Web” and World War II horror tale “Overlord” should take in about $9 million each and will probably finish behind the second weekend of Disney’s “Nutcracker and the Four Realms” for third place.

“The Grinch,” adapted from the 1957 Dr. Seuss book “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” features Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice of the titular Yuletide-hating character. The voice cast also includes Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, Angela Lansbury, and Pharrell Williams. Frequent Illumination collaborator Yarrow Cheney took on directing duties with Scott Mosier...

“The Grinch” has opened with a merry $2.2 million at 3,200 North American locations on Thursday night.

Universal-Illumination’s holiday-themed animated comedy, which began showings at 6 p.m., is expected to gross between $55 million to $65 million this weekend when it expands to 4,140 screens. “The Grinch” should dominate moviegoing over the second weekend of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and the launches of thriller “The Girl In the Spider’s Web” and World War II horror tale “Overlord.”

“The Grinch,” adapted from the 1957 Dr. Seuss book “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice of the Yuletide-hating villain. The voice cast includes Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, Angela Lansbury, and Pharrell Williams. Frequent Illumination collaborator Yarrow Cheney took on directing duties with Scott Mosier from a script by Michael LeSieur and Tommy Swerdlow.

“The Grinch” is the second Dr. Seuss story that Illumination has brought to the big screen following 2012’s “The Lorax,” which...

Illumination and Universal’s “The Grinch,” a remake of the Dr. Seuss classic “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” earned $2.2 million in Thursday previews from 3,200 screens. It will open on 4,140 screens this weekend.

Universal is projecting an opening weekend of $50 million for “The Grinch” and as high as $62 million based on numbers from independent trackers. Illumination’s previous Dr. Seuss adaptation, “The Lorax,” exceeded expectations by opening to $70.2 million in March 2012. Both “The Lorax” and “The Grinch” have reported $75 million budgets, consistent with other Illumination films. More recently, Illumination’s 2016 film “Sing” opened to only $1.7 million in Thursday previews on the way to a $35.2 million opening.

“The Grinch” stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the title character along with Rashida Jones and Kenan Thompson, telling the story of a lonely green grouch who concocts a plan to steal Christmas. Longtime Illumination director Yarrow Cheney directs with Scott Mosier.

Also Read: Benedict Cumberbatch on...

Chicago – They should have left well enough alone, didn’t anybody learn anything from the trainwreck of the Jim Carrey live-action-as-The-Grinch? Apparently not. A more kid friendly and modern animated version of “The Grinch” opens six weeks before Christmas, and already I want to return it.

Rating: 3.0/5.0

It’s isn’t bad bad, it’s just ho-hum and lazy storytelling. It starts with the inevitable, and by this time bordering-on-satire hip hop version of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” by Tyler the Creator… because we all know that the kiddie target audience need hip hop 24/7. And then we hear the voice of new Grinch, and it sounds exactly like a Brit doing an American accent (stretch out those vowels!). It would have been much cooler if Benedict Cumberbatch has just done his natural voice. Oh well. At least it had a decent emotional connection at the end, but...

Illumination and Universal's CG animated The Grinch, the latest adaptation of the classic Dr. Seuss holiday tale, is unwrapping plenty of green at the North American box office, where it grossed $18.7 million on Friday for a projected weekend bow of $67 million.

Friday's gross included $2.2 million in previews.

With a Grinch voiced this time out by Benedict Cumberbatch, the $75 million movie, playing in 4,414 theaters, is the first family event film of the year-end corridor.

Directed by Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney, the film's voice cast also includes Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, Angela ...

Illumination and Universal's CG animated The Grinch, the latest adaptation of the classic Dr. Seuss holiday tale, is unwrapping plenty of green at the North American box office, where it grossed $18.7 million on Friday for a projected weekend bow of $67 million.

Friday's gross included $2.2 million in previews.

With a Grinch voiced this time out by Benedict Cumberbatch, the $75 million movie, playing in 4,414 theaters, is the first family event film of the year-end corridor.

Directed by Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney, the film's voice cast also includes Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, Angela ...

Benedict Cumberbatch gives good Grinch.

This is a fact some of us have long suspected, of course. But Illumination Entertainment’s reimagining of Dr Seuss’s Christmas antihero leaves us in no doubt. Only an Englishman trained in the theatrical arts could truly convey the unique mix of resentment, anger, envy and ennui that the most wonderful time of the year inspires. And, though he may deliver his animus in an American drawl, at shrunken heart, The Grinch is every inch the Ebenezer geezer Mr. Dickens imagined.

The Grinch lives in delicious hermitude, in a cavernous cave dwelling perched high above the bustling town of Whoville. Waited upon by his loyal hound Max, The Grinch spends his days luxuriating in his own loneliness; playing Phantom-esque dirges on a magnificent organ and smashing the fa la la la las out of his persistent alarm clock. His number one priority: to shun...

Dr. Seuss’ “The Grinch” was tailor-made for Chris Meledandri and his subversive Illumination Entertainment, where grumpy social misfits find a family or community to heal their isolation and loneliness. And what better way to counter Trump than with the spreading of Seussian kindness and joy?

For directors Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney (Illumination’s production designer), tackling the Grinch (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch) began with deconstructing Theodor Geisel’s iconic drawings, creating a backstory, expanding the quaint town of Whoville, and making him relevant to our polarizing times.

“We wanted to understand why the Grinch stole Christmas?,” Mosier said. “What happened in his past that caused his isolation and loneliness gave him a deeper emotional arc for updating and modernizing this movie. His feeling about the Whos and who they are starts to define him. And he has this very specific idea about the town, but suddenly he meets Cindy...

Older children are apt to be skeptical. And anyone past voting age may need to be seriously stoned to swallow it. Don’t get me wrong: It’s not that the story can’t be done right outside of the classic 1957 Seuss book. The gold standard remains the wickedly whimsical 1966 TV version from director Chuck Jones, with an unapologetically nasty Boris Karloff voicing the mean, green Xmas-hating machine. And the latest Grinch is nowhere near as insufferable as Ron Howard’s 2000 live-action How the Grinch Stole Christmas with Jim Carrey...

Universal and Illumination's CG animated The Grinch, the latest adaptation of the classic Dr. Seuss holiday tale, will see plenty of green in its North American box office bow with $55 million-$60 million, if not more.

With a Grinch voiced this time out by Benedict Cumberbatch, the big-budget pic will easily top the chart, thanks to being the first family tentpole of the year-end corridor. The weekend's other new nationwide offerings, The Girl in the Spider's Web and the J.J. Abrams-produced Overlord, are looking at far more modest openings.

The Grinch, directed by Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney, will play ...

Universal and Illumination's CG animated The Grinch, the latest adaptation of the classic Dr. Seuss holiday tale, will see plenty of green in its North American box office bow with $55 million-$60 million, if not more.

With a Grinch voiced this time out by Benedict Cumberbatch, the big-budget pic will easily top the chart, thanks to being the first family tentpole of the year-end corridor. The weekend's other new nationwide offerings, The Girl in the Spider's Web and the J.J. Abrams-produced Overlord, are looking at far more modest openings.

The Grinch, directed by Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney, will play ...

Exclusive: As Illumination and Universal’s The Grinch looks to bank at least $70M at the global box office this weekend from 4,140 theaters stateside and 23 overseas markets including the UK and Brazil, the pic is receiving an robust promotional boost from a campaign that includes 60 partners from around the globe, valued at $80M.

Promo partners are running media targeting the coveted adult and millennial demos for the pic with a majority of campaigns having kicked off last Thursday and running through the holidays. Partners are angling their campaigns with the attitude and snark of infamous Grinch, which dovetails with the studio’s marketing tenor for the Yarrow Cheney-Scott Mosier-directed animated feature. Partners will have 15 total TV spots-six domestic, nine international-with custom animation and voice over from Benedict Cumberbatch in three spots including Ebates and 23andMe.

The 2000 campaign for Universal’s live-action Jim Carrey version of the Dr.

Illumination and Benedict Cumberbatch deliver a surprisingly complex (and timely) new take on Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch.

If it’s true that the Christmas holiday season is continuing its march toward calendar domination, then it’s also true that the number of Christmas movies made each year is also increasing. The cable network Lifetime is especially guilty of the latter, as this year’s slate of Lifetime Original television films currently rests at a whopping 23 titles, never mind Netflix dipping its toes into the Yuletide weather. But then there’s, always, The Grinch.

Thus enters the third adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas! since its publication in 1957. The first was the 1966 animated television special narrated by Boris Karloff while the second was the 2000 live-action film directed by Ron Howard and starring Jim Carrey in the title role. Now, these two forms have merged into a...

While researching the history of Christmas movies, I watched 22 different adaptations of “A Christmas Carol,” and even that felt like just scratching the surface. So if Ebenezer Scrooge can be subject to myriad interpretations — even when some fans are convinced that one version or other is the “definitive” one — why shouldn’t the Grinch?

That’s an easier argument to make now that we have “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” as an example of how to revisit the material, particularly since the 2000 live-action take was such a grim and overblown piece of Yule-sploitation. That version no doubt led many to dread this latest one, from “Minions”-makers Illumination Entertainment, but this new animated feature is bright, both in its color palette and in the wit and liveliness of the storytelling.

You know the tale: the curmudgeonly Grinch (now voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch) lives high atop Mount Crumpet with his devoted dog Max,...

In an era when awards-bait films, and even junky FX-laden franchise fantasies of the week, are often half an hour too long for their own good, it’s worth recalling certain examples of pop-culture storytelling that were, in their way, miracles of brevity. The original 1931 “Frankenstein” has a fairly involved storyline (Dr. Frankenstein preparing to get hitched; his bringing to life of Boris Karloff’s creature; the creature learning to walk; the creature going out into the world; the day of the wedding; the pitchfork mob), yet the entire thing goes by in just 71 minutes.

And speaking of creatures who destroy things out of loneliness, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” the 1966 made-for-tv Dr. Seuss perennial, narrated by none other than Boris Karloff, also spins out a relatively busy yarn. The Grinch, in his gleeful squinty-eyebrowed humbug way, broods over this thing called Christmas, then dreams up an elaborate plot — you...

While “Nutcracker and the Four Realms” failed to leave much of a mark on the box office, this weekend should see the start of a dominant period for family films, starting with Illumination/Universal’s “The Grinch.” The Dr. Seuss adaptation should post a solid opening, but will it be a major factor as more films fight for families in the coming weeks?

Universal is projecting an opening weekend of $50 million for “The Grinch” from 4,140 screens, with independent trackers projecting estimates as high as $62 million. By comparison, Illumination’s previous Dr. Seuss adaptation, “The Lorax,” opened to $70.2 million in March 2012 and grossed $214 million domestically. Both “Lorax” and “The Grinch” have reported $75 million budgets, consistent with other Illumination films.

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The real test for “The Grinch” will be in its holdover weeks, with “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald...

It’s never too early to cash in on a little Yuletide spirit.

Universal and Illumination are seeing green as “The Grinch” anticipates to earn between $55 million to $65 million when it launches on 4,140 screens. The animated comedy is expected to dominate over “The Girl In the Spider’s Web” and “Overlord,” the two other wide releases hitting theaters this weekend.

In the adaptation of the classic Dr. Seuss tale, Benedict Cumberbatch voices the animated grouch who loathes Christmas. The voice cast also includes Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, Angela Lansbury, and Pharrell Williams. Frequent Illumination collaborator Yarrow Cheney took on directing duties with Scott Mosier.

“The Grinch” is the second Dr. Seuss story that Illumination, the studio behind “Despicable Me,” “The Secret Life of Pets,” and “Sing,” has brought to the big screen. In 2012, the animators produced “The Lorax,” which launched with $70 million and went on to pick up over $348 million globally.

Studio executives target North American launch in $50m range.

Universal and Illumination have shared some early detail of the international launch plan for Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch.

The family film launches this week day-and-date with North America in 23 international markets including the UK, the Middle East, Sweden, Brazil and Malaysia. Remaining territories will roll out through December.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas voiced by Jim Carrey launched in the UK in Janaury 2001 and went on to gross $21.9m, which adjusts for inflation to $31.5m in real terms.

In North America, executives are targeting a debut in...

Since big-budget CG features have been so influential, it’s sometimes hard to hear the outside voices that vie for attention during awards season. GKids regularly reminds us that hand-drawn animation continues to attract Oscar nominations — for such Irish films as “The Secret of Kells”; French offerings, including “Ernest and Celestine,” and great titles from Japan’s legendary Studio Ghibli.

This year, GKids is highlighting two Japanese 2D films, the sweet-tempered family tale “Mirai” and the surreal “Lu Over the Wall.” And Sony Pictures Classics is touting the Hungarian indie film “Ruben Brandt, Collector,” which definitely illustrates the idea that animation isn’t just for kids.

Of course, cultural sensibilities always factor into the equation. Illumination Entertainment may be headquartered in California, but its main animation crew is based at Mac Guff in France. That presented an interesting challenge when Illumination was making “The Grinch,” since the Seuss book plays liberally with the English language.

The original “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” from the 1966 animated The Grinch is so great and so menacing. That song was perfectly performed by Thurl Ravenscroft.

Of course, with the new The Grinch film coming out, Illumination Entertainment felt the need to give us a new rendition of the classic Christmas song. This one was performed by Tyler the Creator and I’m not impressed.

The new version of the song keeps many of the familiar elements, but it also adds a few new things and it’s done in a completely different more modern style that I personally didn’t care for.

I’m sure there are some people that will like the song and think it’s hip, but it’s no where near being as good as the original. You can listen to it below and I also included the original song so that you can compare the two.

October has proven to be a surprisingly solid month at the box office, and November releases “The Grinch” and “The Girl in the Spider’s Web” hope to keep the end of the year going strong.

Universal and Illumination are getting in on the holiday spirit early when “The Grinch” opens on Nov. 9. Early tracking shows the animated family film, based on Dr. Seuss’ classic Christmas tale, is heading for a start between $50 million and $60 million.

This is the third Grinch adaptation following the 1966 TV special and the 2000 feature with Jim Carrey. Carrey’s take on “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” bowed with $55 million and is still the second-highest grossing holiday movie of all time with $345 million worldwide.

Yarrow Cheney and Scott Mosier directed the newest version, which has Benedict Cumberbatch voicing the green grouch who threatens to destroy Christmas. The voice cast also includes Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson and Angela Lansbury.

Illumination and Universal’s animated feature The Grinch landed on tracking this morning, and it’s safe to say the movie co-directed by Yarrow Cheney and Scott Mosier with a cast led by Benedict Cumberbatch is headed to a $50 million-range opening. Given the Dr. Seuss and Illumination brand, it would not be shocking if that projection continues to mushroom.

Universal’s 2000 live-action release of the Seuss Yuletide tale How The Grinch Stole Christmas from Ron Howard opened to $55M on November 17 that year, legging out to $260M, which made it the highest-grossing title at the domestic box office that year.

“It looks like a true four-quadrant,” a rival distributor beamed this morning about The Grinch. Unaided awareness on tracking is strong at an overall 19%, with men under 25 at 18%, men over at 16%, females over 25 at 22% and females under 25 at 21%. As we always footnote with theses projections, they can climb or decline leading up to opening day,...

Universal has prided itself on building a diverse slate, not just across different genres, but reflecting the make-up of the globe on screen, from the multi-cultural cast of its Fast and Furious films to making the African American horror Blumhouse title Get Out a marquee and awards season event last year.

At Deadline’s Contenders London, the studio presented two of its awards contenders, Peter Farrelly’s Green Book and Illumination’s The Grinch, both keeping within their mission of diversity.

Green Book tells the true story about American jazz pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) who is chauffeured throughout the 1960s deep South for his concert tour by former Copacabana Italian American bouncer Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen). The two couldn’t be more different: Don refined and educated, and Tony working-class, who is not afraid to solve a situation with his fists if needed. However, on a two-month tour prior to Christmas,...

Illumination has released the third trailer for The Grinch which sees the miserable misery embark on a Christmas heist.

Based on Dr. Seuss’ beloved holiday adventure, The Grinch tells the story 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.

Directed by Peter Candeland and Yarrow Cheney and starring Benedict Cumberbatch, The Grinch tells the story 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. It’s a universal story about the spirit of Christmas and the indomitable power of optimism.

Also in trailers – The first trailer for Captain Marvel has arrived

The film hits...

Fall is in the air, and soon the holiday season will be upon us. But not if one devilish evildoer has his way. The Grinch returns this November, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday, and if the newest trailer is any indication, the mean one is ready to completely demolish our Christmas spirit for good.

This winter, Illumination and Universal is asking fans to scheme big. Today, we have the latest trailer for The Grinch, along with a colorful new one-sheet that offers a look down at Whoville and all its doomed inhabitants.

For their eighth fully animated feature, Illumination and Universal Pictures present The Grinch, based on Dr. Seuss' beloved holiday classic. The Grinch tells the story 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,...

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...

Exclusive: Pharrell Williams, whose Oscar-nominated song “Happy” helped turn Despicable Me 2 into a monster hit in 2013, has rejoined with Illumination and Universal Pictures. Williams has come aboard to be the narrator of the animated The Grinch. Grammy nominee Tyler, the Creator has written an original song — “I Am The Grinch” — and will perform it for the film. Oscar-nominated composer Danny Elfman has written the film’s score, and Tyler, the Creator and Elfman collaborated on a re-imagined version of the classic Grinch theme “You’re A Mean One.”

The Grammy-winning Williams previously composed the score and original songs for all three films in the Despicable Me series and has been important in Illumination racking up three of the eight top-grossing animated films of all time, with Illumination’s films grossing more than $5.8 billion worldwide in the company’s 11-year run.

Benedict Cumberbatch voices the title role of The Grinch,...

He’s the grumpiest grouch in all of Who-ville, but this festive season, The Grinch plans to steal Christmas and all of the joy it brings.

Benedict Cumberbatch calls upon his American accent for the animated role – more Doctor Strange, less Sherlock – which is coming by way of Illumination, the industry powerhouse responsible for Despicable Me, Sing, and the inescapable Minions movies. And to drum up excitement ahead of its release in November, the studio has summoned forth a new and suitably festive trailer for The Grinch.

Directed by Yarrow Cheney and Scott Mosier, this is simply the latest spin on Dr. Seuss’ famous yarn from 1957, with previous adaptations including Ron Howard’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which featured Jim Carrey in the title role. Now, it’s Benedict Cumberbatch’s turn to curse Who-ville with his unbearable cynicism.

The Grinch Is (Still) Grouchy In New Poster For Animated...

For their eighth fully animated feature, Illumination and Universal Pictures present a brand new trailer for the holiday classic – The Grinch.

Based on Dr. Seuss’ beloved holiday adventure, The Grinch tells the story 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, heart warming and visually stunning, it’s a universal story about the spirit of Christmas and the indomitable power of optimism.

Directed by Peter Candeland and Yarrow Cheney and starring Benedict Cumberbatch, The Grinch tells the story 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. It’s a universal story about the spirit of Christmas and the indomitable power of optimism.

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Universal Pictures and Illumination released a new trailer for the Dr Suess favourite, The Grinch.

Directed by Peter Candeland and Yarrow Cheney and starring Benedict Cumberbatch, The Grinch tells the story 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. It’s a universal story about the spirit of Christmas and the indomitable power of optimism.

Also in trailers – Domhnall Gleeson stars in trailer for Lenny Abrahamson’s The Little Stranger

The film hits cinemas November 9th 2018.

The Grinch Official Synopsis

Academy Award® nominee Benedict Cumberbatch lends his voice to the infamous Grinch, who lives a solitary life inside a cave on Mt. Crumpet 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.

"I'm going to steal their Christmas...!" Universal & Illumination have revealed the second official trailer for Dr. Seuss' The Grinch, their new animated take on the classic Christmas story about the lovable green grump the Grinch. Benedict Cumberbatch voices the Grinch. No other voice cast members have been revealed yet, Cumberbatch is still the only one listed. "The Grinch tells the story 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." This looks like another cash grab retelling of the classic holiday story, with some of Illumination's usual animated quirks. It looks amusing, but not as good as the original cartoon. Here's the second official trailer (+ poster) Scott Mosier & Yarrow Cheney's The Grinch,...

Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment have released an amusing new trailer for the animated film adaptation of Dr. Suess' The Grinch. Benedict Cumberbatch provides the voice of the title character and the new trailer offers us a good amount of new footage from the film that shows us what The Grinch is up to as he attempts to ruin Christmas for the town of Who-ville.

This is a classic story, one that has been told a few times already. My favorite will always be the original 1966 animated version that we all grew up with. I'm not completely sold on this latest adaptation of the story, but I'll still watch it and hope that it turns out good.

The Grinch tells the story 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,...