Jim Carrey (64) is expected to return to the big screen as the Grinch once again. As reported by the industry magazine "The Hollywood Reporter", Universal Pictures is working on a sequel to the successful Christmas film. Carrey is said to be in negotiations. Director Ron Howard (72), who directed the first installment, is also expected to take the director's chair again. The screenplay is said to be written by Alec Berg, Jeff Schaffer and David Mandel.
Specific details about the plot are not yet known. The previous film became a Christmas classic. At the center of the story is a grumpy, green creature who tries to ruin Christmas for the residents of Whoville. The story is based on the children's book classic "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Seuss from 1957.
"The Grinch" was a box office hit
The story was first adapted as an animated TV special for CBS in 1966. At the time, Boris Karloff took on both the role of narrator and the voice of the Grinch. With the live-action film from 2000, Jim Carrey finally brought the character to the cinema.
The film premiered in November of that year and stayed at the top of the US box office charts for four weeks. Worldwide, the production grossed just under 350 million US dollars and was the most successful film of the year in the United States. In addition, the adaptation received three Oscar nominations and won in the category "Best Makeup".
Carrey almost dropped out
For his role as the Grinch, Carrey had to sit in the makeup chair for hours every day - an enormous burden for the actor. Initially, the procedure took around eight hours per day. As he told "Vulture" magazine last year, this experience pushed him to his limits on the very first day of filming: he even considered dropping out and returning his 20 million dollar salary.
He ultimately persevered with the support of a specialist who trains CIA agents to deal with torture situations, as well as thanks to shortened makeup times, which were later reduced to about three hours per day.
