How The Grinch Stole Christmas is a Christmas classic, and much like many other classics before it, it's not only a staple for annual viewing, but also ripe ground for a remake. With the brand-new animated version of Dr. Seuss' seminal children's book heading to us next November, a new Grinch is coming, and he's got a rather magnificent voice to herald his return. We're excited to announce that Benedict Cumberbatch has been cast as The Grinch for the 2017 holiday event film!
This late breaking news comes to us from our own Eric Eisenberg, who's on the ground at CinemaCon in Las Vegas. The announcement was made during Universal's presentation at the famed convention, where scoops have been dropping all over the place. And to commemorate their casting, Universal released the following tweet, which also shows us our first look at the latest incarnation of The Grinch.
The classic tale of The Grinch's full-frontal assault on Christmas has been made most notably into an animated special and a live-action movie, with Boris Karloff and Jim Carrey respectively inhabiting previous incarnations of the no-good holiday snatcher himself. Though this new version of Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas is jumping into another new format, as the folks at Illumination Entertainment are bringing the Whos down in Whoville into the era of CG animation. Much like Benedict Cumberbatch, Illumination Entertainment is similarly versed in this sort of thing, as they landed a hit their 2010 adaptation of Dr. Seuss' The Lorax.
Despite the ingenious casting of the Sherlock actor as The Grinch, there are some who are probably still wondering how original a CG adaptation of Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas could be. And yet, the folks at Illumination Entertainment have not only breathed new life into Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, but they also turned the cliché of the mad scientist on its head with their wildly successful Despicable Me series. So whatever tactics they've got up their sleeve, at the very least it won't be old hat.
This is especially true after hearing that Benedict Cumberbatch will be bringing the legendary villain to life. All at once surprising, yet ultimately fitting, having Cumberbatch play the lead in Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas only adds to the popular actor's resume of villainy. Though The Grinch isn't nearly as vicious as Star Trek Into Darkness' Khan, or as greedy as The Hobbit's Smaug, it'll certainly be a challenge in familiar territory for the talented actor.
Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas will slink and slunk through your house on November 10th, 2017.
