Date: 2nd January 2001

Grinch Saves Hollywood


JIM CARREY's THE GRINCH has helped Hollywood to another record year at the box office, saving 2000 from being a flop.

Ticket sales takings from America and Canada were expected to reach $7.7 billion (£5.15 billion) by New Year's Eve (31DEC00), thanks largely to the sudden success of DR SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS, which was last year's(00) top-selling film.

While 2000 began with hits like GLADIATOR, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: 2 and ERIN BROCKOVICH, the film industry slumped in the autumn, before being rescued by Carrey's smash hit and other seasonal successes.

PAUL DERGARABEDIAN, president of box office monitoring service Exhibitor Relations, called 2000 "a real roller-coaster year". He praised the success of The Grinch along with CHARLIE'S ANGELS, UNBREAKABLE and 102 DALMATIANS, saying, "That showed people can get just as excited about going to the movies during the holiday period as they can during the summer, and that really saved us".

(KW/WNWCCB/JM)

Source: WENN