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A Lonely Grinch Looking for Salvation: Behind the Scenes of THE GRINCH

A Lonely Grinch Looking for Salvation: Behind the Scenes of THE GRINCH

By Evy Carroll, Executive Managing Editor

The newest rendition of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas opens Friday, Nov. 9, but this Grinch is a bit different.

In an exclusive interview, Co-Director Scott Mosier of Universal’s THE GRINCH said, “Unlike the other Grinches, this Grinch has a little bit of a heart, just a little, but it’s there. We really wanted to go deeper into his emotional journey in this movie and explore why he stole Christmas, why he hates Christmas. So, we wanted to push into his past and [explore] the isolation and loneliness of the character.”

Chiming in, Co-Director Yarrow Cheney added, “He’s lonely, and he’s bitter, but there’s a real person in there. It’s really about that. It’s telling a story about a broken and lonely person and back to a joyful life, a life of community, with love.”

Someone who’s broken, lonely, in need of joy and forgiveness? That sounds biblical! Yarrow agreed.

“At its core,” he said, “it’s a story about the transformative power of forgiveness and grace. It’s this terrible character, this terrible guy, this villain, is transformed by the unearned kindness of others, of this little girl, and his witnessing this grace that he has been resisting his whole life. Specifically for a Christian audience, that is the core of Christmas – that reconciliation through grace. That’s also at the core of this story.”

Mosier noted that the character of Cindy Lou Who in THE GRINCH won’t just melt the Grinch’s heart, she also will melt the audience’s hearts. She’s an “example of selflessness and compassion and empathy,” he said.

As for hating Christmas, it’s clear that the directors of THE GRINCH aren’t one of those people who do!

“I LOVE Christmas!” Yarrow exclaimed to Movieguide®.

Their love for Christmas definitely comes out loud and clear in this delightful, inspiring version of the classic Dr. Seuss tale, one of the greatest children’s books of all time.

You can check out Movieguide®’s review of THE GRINCH here.


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