The Grinch (film)

In February 2013, it was announced that Illumination was developing a 3D animated feature film based on the Dr. Seuss book, with the working title How the Grinch Stole Christmas, later shortened to The Grinch.[7] Peter Candeland and Yarrow Cheney were set to direct,[8] though in 2018 producer Scott Mosier took over from Candeland.[9]

Benedict Cumberbatch was cast as the titular character in April 2016.[8] Illumination originally wanted Cumberbatch to voice the Grinch in his natural accent, however, Cumberbatch felt that since the rest of the cast is American, the Grinch himself should have an American accent. By September 2018, Angela Lansbury had been set to voice the Mayor of Whoville. Rashida Jones, Cameron Seely, and Kenan Thompson also joined the cast, while Pharrell Williams, who had previously worked on Illumination's Despicable Me films,[10] was revealed to be narrating the film.[11]

The animation was created by Illumination Mac Guff in Paris, France.[12] Several software programs were used in creating the film's CGI characters including Maya, ZBrush, and Nuke as well as in-house software.[13] A 3D CGI model of the town of Whoville through which a virtual camera could travel was crafted using Maya, ZBrush, Foundry’s Mari, and Allegorithmic’s Substance Painter.[13]

Tyler, the Creator wrote a new song for the film titled "I Am the Grinch".[11] Tyler and Danny Elfman, who composed the film's score, collaborated on a new version of the song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" for the film, which was featured in the final trailer,[11] and early on in the film itself.

On November 20, 2017, Danny Elfman was revealed to be composing the film's score.[1] Elfman's score was released on digital formats on November 9, 2018, along with the soundtrack (both digitally and on CD) and the film.[14]

All music is composed by Danny Elfman except where indicated.

The first official trailer was released on March 8, 2018.[17] The second trailer was released on June 14, 2018. The third and final trailer was released on September 18, 2018, along with a new poster.[18] Beginning in October, various billboards appeared for the film, each featuring an image of the Grinch, accompanied by a mean or ironic quote and message.[19] Universal and Illumination partnered with several companies to promote the film, including Wonderful Pistachios, Ebates, IHOP and 23andme for about $80 million worth of advertising.[20] All-in-all the studio spent an estimated $121 million promoting the film worldwide.[21] To promote the film, a giant inflatable balloon featuring the titular character first appeared at the 91st Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on November 23, 2017, 1 year ahead of its release.[22] Later in December 2018, The Grinch and Max also made cameos in that year's WNBC/WNJU holiday sing along promo.[23]

The film was released on Digital HD on January 22, 2019, and on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD on February 5, 2019.[24] It includes three mini-movies: Yellow is the New Black (which preceded the film in its theatrical run), The Dog Days of Winter, and Santa's Little Helpers. The Dog Days of Winter was first shown on NBC on November 23, 2018, after How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) and before Trolls Holiday.

The Grinch grossed $270.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $241 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $511.6 million, against a production budget of $75 million.[4] Deadline Hollywood calculated the net profit of the film to be $184.6 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues, making it the ninth most-profitable release of 2018.[21]

In the United States and Canada, The Grinch was released alongside The Girl in the Spider's Web and Overlord, and was projected to gross $55–65 million from 4,140 theaters in its opening weekend.[25][26] It made $18.7 million on its first day, including $2.2 million from Thursday night previews, more than the $1.7 million taken in by Illumination's Sing in 2016. It went on to debut to $67.6 million, finishing first at the box office and topping the 2000 film's $55 million opening.[27][28] In its second weekend the film made $38.2 million, finishing second behind newcomer Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.[29] In its third weekend the film made $30.2 million (including $42 million over the five-day Thanksgiving frame), finishing fourth.[30] In its fourth and fifth weekends, the film finished second behind Ralph Breaks the Internet, grossing $17.9 million and $15.0 million, respectively. It marked the first-ever time animated films were the top two films at the box office in back-to-back weekends.[31]

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 59% based on 184 reviews and an average rating of 5.97/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The Grinch gives the classic Seuss source material a brightly animated update that's solidly suitable for younger viewers without adding substantially to the story's legacy."[32] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 51 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[33] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave it an 83% positive score and a 75% "definite recommend".[27]

Alonso Duralde of TheWrap gave the film a positive review, calling it "full of warmth and wit" and writing, "Purists may balk about revisiting this tale, but The Grinch earns its laughter and its sentiment, both of which are plentiful. It's a full-throated Fah-Who-Foraze."[34] Owen Gleiberman of Variety compared the film favorably to the 2000 live-action version, writing, "For anyone who grew up with How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Grinch won’t replace it, yet it's nimble and affectionate in a way that can hook today's children, and more than a few adults, by conjuring a feeling that comes close enough. By the end, your own heart will swell, though maybe just one or two sizes."[35]

Glenn Kenny of The New York Times wrote, "Said dog, Max is the most charming character in this version, directed by Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney. The filmmakers keep the visuals merry and popping bright. Benedict Cumberbatch, voicing the Grinch, opts not to compete with Karloff at all, which is smart and speaks in an American accent, sounding rather like Bill Hader, which is confusing. A tepid hip-hop song about the Grinch plays over the end credits. It’s by Tyler, the Creator, who only a few years ago was considered one of the saltiest (to put it mildly) voices in music. Here, his contribution is as toothless as the rest of the movie."[36] Molly Freeman of Screen Rant gave the film a 3 out of 5 stars, saying "The Grinch may not be a necessary holiday movie, but fans of Dr. Seuss's story or holiday films, in general, will find plenty to like in this new animated retelling. Plus, with a variety of family-friendly jokes, The Grinch will no doubt entertain viewers young and old, though the 90-minute runtime does stretch thin in the third act of the movie. It's perhaps not worth seeing in IMAX, but The Grinch does provide some rich visuals that will also capture the eye of all moviegoers. The Grinch is holiday fun for the whole family, adapting a classic story with a new twist that makes for an altogether compelling moviegoing experience."[37]

Sandie Angulo Chen of Common Sense Media gave the film 3/5 and stated, "This adaptation is bright, colorful, and occasionally funny, but it doesn't come close to matching the effectiveness of the short-and-sweet original."[38] Amy West of Empire gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, writing "Despite its story-telling ambition being two sizes too small (much like its hairy protagonist’s heart), The Grinch is impossibly cute, visually rich and boasts enough festive fun to satisfy young viewers."[39]