Jim Carrey to reprise his role in How the Grinch Stole Christmas sequel, calls original experience ‘torture’

A sequel to the live-action adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas is in the works, with director Ron Howard and star Jim Carrey reportedly in discussions to return. This news comes despite Carrey’s struggles during the filming of the original, where he faced panic attacks and even sought help from a “torture” expert to cope with the challenges of playing the Grinch in 2000.

The upcoming Grinch sequel is expected to bring back Carrey, Howard, and producer Brian Grazer. The script is being crafted by Alec Berg, Jeff Schaffer, and David Mandel, all of whom have experience with comedy writing, having worked on shows like Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. They also contributed to another Dr. Seuss-inspired film, 2003’s The Cat in the Hat featuring Mike Myers. The original screenplay for How the Grinch Stole Christmas was penned by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman.

It’s still unclear if the new Grinch film will be live-action. Carrey famously considered walking away from How the Grinch Stole Christmas, even willing to forfeit a $20 million paycheck, due to his discomfort in the full-body Grinch makeup. In a retrospective shared last year, Carrey described the suit as “unnervingly itchy yak hair” that drove him to distraction. He struggled with ten-inch-long fingers that made it impossible to scratch or touch his face, along with cumbersome teeth and full contact lenses that limited his vision.

After enduring an eight-hour makeup session, Carrey expressed his desire to quit to Howard and Grazer. However, Grazer enlisted the late Richard Marcinko, a former U.S. Navy SEAL commander, to help Carrey manage the “torture” of the Grinch suit.

Makeup artist Rick Baker, who was responsible for Carrey’s transformation, noted that the real challenge was the sheer number of days spent in makeup—around 92, which is quite a record.

Carrey found solace during the grueling makeup process through music, specifically the Bee Gees. He shared that listening to their entire catalog helped him cope, stating, “Their music is so joyful. I’ve never met Barry Gibb, but I want to thank him.”

The studio behind the Grinch sequel also released an animated version of The Grinch in 2018, featuring Benedict Cumberbatch as the lead. The original live-action How the Grinch Stole Christmas earned $350 million against a $123 million budget, while the animated film grossed $550 million on a $75 million budget.

Carrey is set to reprise his role as Dr. Ivo Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog 4, a role he seems to be enjoying much more.

What could be better than Jim Carrey? Two Jims Carrey!