Ron Howard teases The Grinch 2 — and Jim Carrey may be back in green

Right, just when you thought Hollywood had squeezed the last bit of tinsel out of the festive nostalgia circuit, up pops news that 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas'—yes, the Jim Carrey one with the fur suit that haunted a generation’s dreams—is getting a live-action sequel. You read that correctly. The Grinch is apparently clawing his way back to Whoville for round two, and Jim Carrey is now in talks to come back for more prosthetic-induced pain. Honestly, I’m as surprised as you might be; if you remember the first film, you’ll know his transformation made marathon runners look like they had it easy.

Who’s Actually Going Back to Whoville?

First off, it’s not just Carrey they’re resurrecting for this. Director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer are both along for the sleigh ride, steering this operation from sketchy pitch to greenlit sequel at Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment. The details of the plot are tucked away somewhere so secret I half expect them to be delivered by owl, but Howard did confirm that this has been stewing in the background for ages.

Here’s how Howard put it to The Hollywood Reporter, speaking at the annual UCLA Entertainment Symposium:

"Something we’ve thought about for a long time, and you know what, it’s an idea that got all five or six of the brain trust excited. So, it’s worth a try."

So, it’s not just studio execs looking at the old box office numbers and seeing dollar signs—there’s apparently a concept that made the whole creative team perk up. Frankly, that’s usually a good sign, but I’m keeping my cynicism handy.

The Big (Grinch-shaped) Question: Jim Carrey’s Return

Now here’s where things get genuinely bizarre. If you’ve ever seen footage of Jim Carrey being buried under layers of green yak hair and spirit gum, you’ll know his commitment was almost superhuman—or super-masochistic. In fact, Carrey found the hours-long process so soul-crushing during the original shoot that, two weeks in, he tried to flat-out quit. Not just a bit of grumbling, either—he offered to give back his $20 million salary (plus interest!) just to escape Whoville.

Enter Brian Grazer, who found one of the most surreal, only-in-Hollywood solutions I’ve heard: he brought in a specialist who teaches US State Department types how to survive actual torture. Yes, really. Comic relief from visiting comedians didn’t cut it. But after a weekend with the torture expert, Carrey came back on the Monday and said:

"No, I’m gonna stick with it." They developed a method for Jim to diffuse the pain.

Ron Howard chipped in his own take, saying he’d never been more impressed by an actor’s effort creating a character. He made it clear Carrey could’ve cut corners, like refusing the uncomfortable costume or skipping the old-school contact lenses (this was pre-fancy CGI, after all), but he stuck it out and relied on those mental techniques to get through the shoot.

Where Was Carrey, Anyway?

It’s worth noting that a few years back Carrey sounded totally done with acting. In 2022, he publicly floated the idea of retirement, saying he thought he’d "done enough". Everyone took him at his word, but then he was lured back to play Dr Robotnik in the ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ films. (Clearly, no one is ever too retired for Dr Seuss or Sega.) Carrey’s basically cherry-picking his roles at this point, but he’d previously mentioned he could be convinced to play The Grinch again if the circumstances were right. Judging by the latest buzz, that right set of circumstances might involve this new not-yet-disclosed concept—and probably a firm contract on makeup breaks.

Just Who Are We Talking About?

• Jim Carrey: In talks to return as The Grinch
• Ron Howard: Back in the director’s chair
• Brian Grazer: Returning producer and Jim Carrey-wrangler
• Legacy sequel from Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment

Actual plot details? Buried under more layers than a Whoville Christmas cake. But we do know the creative brain trust are invested, Carrey’s in serious discussions, and the nostalgia dollars are probably already jingling at the studio.