A sequel to the beloved live-action film “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is reportedly in development, promising a return to Whoville with a new twist on the classic tale.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jim Carrey is in discussions with Universal and Imagine Entertainment to once again don the iconic green fur as the Grinch.
The sequel is set to be directed and produced by Ron Howard, who helmed the original film.
The first “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” hit theaters just before Thanksgiving in 2000, raking in over $260 million domestically and claiming the title of that year’s highest-grossing film. Its total worldwide earnings soared to $346 million.
The film’s success was also recognized at the Academy Awards, where Rick Baker and Gail Rowell-Ryan received Oscars for best makeup for their work in transforming Carrey into the infamous character.
For Carrey, the process of turning him into the iconic Dr. Seuss character took eight hours a day and was particularly difficult.
Jim Carrey called ‘Grinch’ makeup process ‘excruciating’
He told Comicbook.com in 2024 that he was open to reprising the character, but only if there was an improved way to put on his makeup.
“Oh, gosh, you know, if we could figure out the Grinch,” Carrey shared when asked about revisiting the classic character. “The thing about it is, on the day, I do that with a ton of makeup and can hardly breathe. It was an extremely excruciating process.”
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PARIS, FRANCE – FEBRUARY 26: Jim Carrey during the 51st Cesar Film Awards at L’Olympia on February 26, 2026 in Paris, France. (Photo by Francois Durand/Getty Images) -
Director Ron Howard attends the Paley Center for Media’s 2024 Paley Honors at Cipriani 42nd Street on Thursday, June 13, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP) -
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 08: (L-R) Jim Carrey and Taylor Momsen pose in the press room during the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Peacock Theater on November 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for RRHOF)
The comedian added, “The children were in my mind all the time. ‘It’s for the kids. It’s for the kids. It’s for the kids.’ And now, with motion capture and things like that, I could be free to do other things. Anything is possible in this world.”
Last year, Carrey told Vulture that on the first day of production of the holiday movie, he was ready to quit and forgo his $20 million payday if it meant not having to sit through makeup.
However, with the help of a man who trained CIA agents to withstand torture and the makeup process going from eight hours a day to three, he decided to stay on the film.
Taylor Momsen, who played Cindy Lou in the 2000 flick, hinted she’d be open to returning for a “Grinch” sequel, but only if Carrey asked.
“When Jim Carrey asks you to do something, you pay attention, so we’ll see,” she told Entertainment Tonight in November.