The Grinch (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Grinch |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Music by | Danny Elfman |
| Editing by | Chris Cartagena |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | October 22, 2018 (Regency Village Theater) November 9, 2018 (United States) |
| Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $75 million |
| Money made | $512.9 million |
The Grinch (also known as Dr. Seuss' The Grinch) is a fun 2018 animated Christmas comedy film. It was made by Illumination and released by Universal Pictures. This movie is based on the famous 1957 book How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss.
It's the third time this classic story has been brought to the screen. Before this, there was a TV special in 1966 and a live-action movie in 2000. This film was directed by Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney. It features the voices of Benedict Cumberbatch as the Grinch, Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, and Angela Lansbury. Pharrell Williams is the narrator. The story follows the Grinch and his dog Max as they try to stop Christmas in Whoville by stealing everything.
The Grinch came out in the United States on November 9, 2018. It earned over $512 million around the world. This made it the highest-earning Christmas film ever at the time. It also became the highest-earning Dr. Seuss movie adaptation. Critics had mixed feelings about the film. They liked the animation and the voice acting. However, some felt it didn't add much new to the original story. This was the last Dr. Seuss film released while Seuss's wife, Audrey Geisel, was alive. She was an executive producer for the movie.
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The Story of The Grinch
In the cheerful town of Whoville, everyone is super excited to celebrate Christmas. But there's one person who isn't happy at all: the grumpy, green-furred Grinch. He was born with a heart that was "two-sizes too small."
The Grinch lives in a cave with his loyal dog, Max. He only goes into Whoville to buy food and sometimes to bother the Whos. Meanwhile, a kind 6-year-old girl named Cindy Lou Who notices her mom, Donna, is very busy. Donna works hard to take care of Cindy and her twin baby brothers, Buster and Bean.
Cindy first plans to write a letter to Santa Claus to ask for help for her mom. But after meeting the Grinch, who jokes that she should talk to Santa in person, she changes her mind. Cindy decides to try and meet Santa at the North Pole herself. When her mom tells her that trip would take a month, Cindy decides to set a trap for Santa with her friends instead.
As Christmas gets closer, the Grinch tries to ruin a tree-lighting party. But his plan goes wrong. This makes him remember his sad childhood in an orphanage, feeling lonely. Because of this memory, the Grinch decides he will steal Christmas from Whoville. He hopes this will make him feel better.
The Grinch and Max find a big reindeer named Fred. They also steal a sleigh from their friendly neighbor, Bricklebaum. After a practice run, the Grinch sees that Fred has a family. The Grinch, feeling a bit soft, lets Fred go home.
On Christmas Eve, the Grinch puts on a Santa disguise. He uses many cool gadgets he made for his plan. Max pulls the sleigh instead of Fred. They go down to Whoville to steal all the decorations and presents. The Grinch then falls into Cindy Lou's trap. She asks him to help her mom and gives him kind advice. She tells him that listening to the Whos sing might make him feel less sad. This touches the Grinch's heart. But he still continues his mission, because he can't let go of the loneliness Christmas brings him.
After stealing everything, the Grinch and Max head back to Mount Crumpit. They plan to throw all the stolen items off the mountain. The Whos wake up and are sad to see their presents and decorations gone. Cindy Lou thinks it's her fault because of her trap. But Donna tells her that Christmas isn't about presents. She says Cindy is the best thing that ever happened to her. The Whos then sing "Welcome Christmas" together. The Grinch is confused to see them celebrating even after he stole everything. He sees Cindy and remembers her advice. He listens to their singing, and his tiny heart suddenly grows three times bigger!
After this, the sleigh starts to fall off Mount Crumpit. The Grinch tries to save it. Fred and his family come to help him, and they succeed. The Grinch and Max then slide back to Whoville. The Grinch returns all the stolen items. He feels bad and says sorry to the Whos. Then he goes back to his cave.
Cindy feels sorry for the Grinch. She invites him and Max to celebrate Christmas at her house. He feels a bit awkward but goes. At dinner, he realizes he didn't hate Christmas itself. He hated being alone and feeling forgotten. Finally, the Grinch accepts the Whos' friendship. He enjoys Christmas with them, giving a toast: "To kindness and love, the things we need most."
Who Are the Voices?
Many talented actors lent their voices to the characters in The Grinch:
- Benedict Cumberbatch as the Grinch, the grumpy green creature who hates Christmas.
- Cameron Seely as Cindy Lou Who, a sweet young girl from Whoville.
- Rashida Jones as Donna Who, Cindy Lou's busy single mom.
- Kenan Thompson as Bricklebaum, a happy Whoville citizen who lives near the Grinch.
- Angela Lansbury as Mayor McGerkle, the Mayor of Whoville.
- Pharrell Williams as the Narrator, who tells the story.
- Tristan O'Hare as Groopert, Cindy Lou's best friend.
- Sam Lavagnino as Ozzy, one of Cindy Lou's friends.
- Ramone Hamilton as Axl, another one of Cindy Lou's friends.
- Scarlett Estevez as Izzy, one of Cindy Lou's friends.
- Michael Beattie as a store clerk.
How the Movie Was Made
Creating the Movie
In 2013, it was announced that Illumination was making a 3D animated movie based on the Dr. Seuss book. It was first called How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Later, the name was shortened to The Grinch. Yarrow Cheney and Scott Mosier directed the film.
Choosing the Voices
Benedict Cumberbatch was chosen to voice the Grinch in April 2016. Illumination wanted him to use his natural accent. But Cumberbatch felt the Grinch should have an American accent, like the other characters. By September 2018, Angela Lansbury joined the cast as the Mayor of Whoville. Rashida Jones, Cameron Seely, and Kenan Thompson also joined. Pharrell Williams, who had worked on other Illumination movies, became the narrator.
Bringing the Animation to Life
The animation for the movie was made by Illumination Mac Guff. This studio is located in Paris, France. They used special computer programs to create the characters and the town of Whoville. Some of these programs included Maya, ZBrush, and Nuke. They also used their own special software. A 3D computer model of Whoville was built. This allowed the virtual camera to move through the town.
The Music of The Grinch
Danny Elfman was chosen to create the music for the film in 2017. Tyler, the Creator wrote a new song for the movie called "I Am the Grinch." Tyler and Danny Elfman also worked together on a new version of the classic song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." This new version was used in the movie's final trailer and in the film itself. The movie's music and soundtrack were released digitally and on CD.
When The Grinch Was Released
In Movie Theaters
The movie was first planned to be released on November 10, 2017. But on June 7, 2016, the release date was changed. It was pushed back to November 9, 2018.
Advertising the Movie
To get people excited about the film, many billboards appeared in October. Each one showed the Grinch with a funny or grumpy message. Universal and Illumination worked with different companies to promote the movie. They spent a lot of money on advertising. A giant inflatable balloon of the Grinch first appeared in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. This happened on November 23, 2017, a year before the movie came out.
At Home
The film became available for digital download on January 22, 2019. It was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on February 5, 2019. These home versions included three short mini-movies. These were Yellow is the New Black, The Dog Days of Winter, and Santa's Little Helpers. The Dog Days of Winter was first shown on NBC on November 23, 2018.
On Television
The movie first aired on TV on FX on December 12, 2020. It also premiered on Disney Channel on December 13, 2020. Later, it was shown on Freeform on December 18, 2020. The film aired on NBC on December 22, 2021.
Images for kids
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A robot icon.
See also
