How the Grinch Stole Christmas is as beloved as it comes, whether it's the children's book, the animated TV special, or (for some generations) the 2000's live-action movie. It's no surprise then that the latest retelling of the story, this month's The Grinch from animation powerhouse Illumination, is already a hit at the box office. The animated movie is projected to bring in $66.2 million this weekend, which is an improvement over the last theatrical release of the classic tale.
Per Deadline, The Grinch got off to a solid start after it pulled in $18.3 million on Friday. Veteran's Day is coming up on Sunday, which means a ton of kids will have the day off from school on Monday. That extra moviegoing spillover will help boost The Grinch's opening even higher. As such, the film is currently projected to wrap the long weekend with $66 million.
That number is an improvement over 2000's How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which had a debut of $55 million. That live-action film was led by Jim Carrey in full Grinch makeup and directed by Ron Howard. While not too beloved by critics, the movie has a following from kids who grew up while it was in theaters.
That's the situation that The Grinch finds itself in as well. Critics have been split on the film, giving it mixed feedback. The movie currently sits at 54% on Rotten Tomatoes, while the Jim Carrey version has a 52% fresh rating. However, both movies are geared toward families, and for what it's worth, they seem to be loving The Grinch. The animated movie has an A- CinemaScore and a solid 4 stars and an 83% overall positive on PostTrak.
The Grinch had a 43% youth turnout on Friday night, and kids seem to be lovin' it! Plus, the fact that the new movie comes from the house that created the Minions means that people are guaranteed a certain style and content quality.
Though the two are essentially the exact same story, the Grinch movies take different approaches on the classic material. Jim Carrey's version was as hammy as it gets, but also took itself a bit more seriously and tried to flesh out the backstory of the Grinch. The Benedict Cumberbatch-voiced animated movie also gives the Grinch a backstory, but the movie is very silly with Illumination's trademark slapstick humor thrown in for good measure.
The Grinch is almost guaranteed to be a constant during the holidays, but you can get in on the ground floor and watch the movie this weekend. Or you can plop in the old Jim Carrey version for old times' sake. For more movie news, keep it right here at CinemaBlend.
