How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) - Synopsis

How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

Since its first publication in 1957, Dr. Seuss' classic tale How The Grinch Stole Christmas has captivated readers young and old alike with its delightful story, endearing characters, witty humor and timeless message. For decades, Hollywood filmmakers have tried in vain to secure the motion picture rights for a live-action production of one of Dr. Seuss' books, as Theodor S. Geisel (Dr. Seuss) had repeatedly turned down their requests. Until now.

Audrey Geisel, the widow of the late Dr. Seuss, entrusted her husband's legacy to producer Brian Grazer who has mounted some of the most successful and distinguished films of the last decade, including Apollo 13 (1995), Nutty Professor, The (1996) and Liar Liar (1997). Grazer's long-time collaborator and partner at Imagine Entertainment, Ron Howard, who has brought audiences such films as Splash (1984), Willow (1988) and Cocoon (1985) clearly was the perfect choice to direct.

And who better to embody the role of the Grinch - that nefarious, flagitious, mischievous, sly, nasty, troublesome, bad-tempered, unkind, intolerant, utterly irredeemable, foul-smelling and just plain not very nice Grinch - than the outrageously talented Jim Carrey?

The teaming of Jim Carrey with Ron Howard and Brian Grazer pairs one of the world's most versatile actors with a director and producer, whose string of box office and critical successes are rivaled by few others. And the filmmakers have gone to incredible lengths to ensure that the overall scope of the mammoth production remains faithful to the original spirit of Dr. Seuss, assembling the very best people working in movies today-in every field. From set design to costumes, from special effects to cinematography, from sound to music, Howard and Grazer have managed to transport the viewer to the incredible fantasy world that is Whoville, aided by a creative behind-the-scenes team, most of whom go back with the director for over 10 years.

With the key elements in place, the ball was set in motion for a truly unique cinematic achievement.

Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment present a Brian Grazer film and a Ron Howard production of a Dr. Seuss book, Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas. In addition to comedic superstar Jim Carrey, the film also stars Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, Bill Irwin, Molly Shannon and Taylor Momsen, and is narrated by Oscar winning actor Anthony Hopkins.