At the Coming Attractions event I hosted last night I played a trailer for Illumination's The Grinch. Of course it's a retelling of the classic Dr. Seuss story How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and one of the questions we got was "Why?" Why is it necessary to tell this particular story again when it's been told so many times already, and not that long ago? The answer is obvious: $$$. But also because it gives Illumination the chance to put a Minion-esque spin on it.
Benedict Cumberbatch voices the famous Christmas-hating Grinch, who again is setting in motion plans to ruin the holiday for the residents of Who-ville. Of course by his side is his canine companion, Max, who I think will be the slapsticky Minions surrogate in this film and the character audiences come away loving. We do get a look at a younger, kiddie version of the Grinch, probably to set up his eventual turn to the merry side.
Directed by Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney, The Grinch opens November 9th. Check out the trailer below followed by the unnecessarily lengthy synopsis.
For their eighth fully animated feature, Illumination and Universal Pictures present The Grinch, based on Dr. Seuss’ beloved holiday classic. The Grinch tells the story of a cynical grump who goes on a mission to steal Christmas, only to have his heart changed by a young girl’s generous holiday spirit. Funny, heartwarming and visually stunning, it’s a universal story about the spirit of Christmas and the indomitable power of optimism.
Academy Award® nominee Benedict Cumberbatch lends his voice to the infamous Grinch, who lives a solitary life inside a cave on Mt. Crumpet with only his loyal dog, Max, for company. With a cave rigged with inventions and contraptions for his day-to-day needs, the Grinch only sees his neighbors in Who-ville when he runs out of food.
Each year at Christmas they disrupt his tranquil solitude with their increasingly bigger, brighter and louder celebrations. When the Whos declare they are going to make Christmas three times bigger this year, the Grinch realizes there is only one way for him to gain some peace and quiet: he must steal Christmas. To do so, he decides he will pose as Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, even going so far as to trap a lackadaisical misfit reindeer to pull his sleigh.
Meanwhile, down in Who-ville, Cindy-Lou Who—a young girl overflowing with holiday cheer—plots with her gang of friends to trap Santa Claus as he makes his Christmas Eve rounds so that she can thank him for help for her overworked single mother. As Christmas approaches, however, her good-natured scheme threatens to collide with the Grinch’s more nefarious one. Will Cindy-Lou achieve her goal of finally meeting Santa Claus? Will the Grinch succeed in silencing the Whos’ holiday cheer once and for all?
