Currently Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas can be enjoyed in three forms during the Christmas season: you can read the original book, watch the 1966 TV special or watch the live action movie released in 2000. But soon a fourth option added to the proverbial table, as Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment's adaptation of Theodore Geisel's tale will finally be released this November. We've already seen a few images of how this CGI Grinch will look, but today brings us our first footage of Dr. Seuss' The Grinch, and it ties nicely into the Winter Olympics, which have officially kicked off.
The Grinch may be a bitter recluse who doesn't like birds chirping outside his window (actually, you don't need to be consistently grumpy to be annoyed by that), but evidently he is one of the many people who enjoys watching figure skating during the Winter Olympics. So much so that he imagines himself on the ice rink pulling off all kinds of elaborate moves while wearing a sharp green outfit. The crowd loves him, they really love him! Unfortunately, Grinch is shaken out of his fantasy by his dog Max, and he quickly composes himself as Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" winds down. Even a Grinch can dream.
We're still a long ways off from seeing Dr. Seuss' The Grinch in theaters, but airing a TV spot for the Winter Olympics was a smart move on Universal and Illumination's part. Since the winter season is almost over, this is a great way for the studios to clue people in who don't read movie news consistently that a new version of How The Grinch Stole Christmas is on the way and have it connect with the seasonal athletic competitions that dominate TV every four years. No doubt a Grinch teaser trailer will be released at some point in the coming months, but for now, this TV spot can tide us over.
Originally Dr. Seuss' The Grinch was supposed to be released last November, but in June 2016, it was pushed back to 2018. Benedict Cumberbatch will voice The Grinch, and this version of the tale will see the eponymous character planning to steal Christmas from the citizens of Whoville as they plan their biggest holiday celebration yet, because all he wants is some peace and quiet. Illumination already has some experience adapting Dr. Seuss stories with 2012's The Lorax, but since Warner Bros Animation Group recently signed an exclusive deal with Dr. Seuss Enterprises to make a series of movies based on the author's works (including The Cat in the Hat), Dr. Seuss' The Grinch will be the last time that Illumination can play in this particular sandbox.
Dr. Seuss' The Grinch will be released in theaters on November 9. To plan out your trips to the movie theater this year accordingly, look through our 2018 release schedule.
