Undoubtedly one of his worst on-set memories, Jim Carrey could be reprising a role in one of the most beloved films of his career.
Since the early 2020s, Jim Carrey’s filmography has been dazzlingly diverse. In 2020 he appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog. In 2022, he returned for Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and in 2024 he starred in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. But that isn’t all, because a Sonic the Hedgehog 4 film is also on the horizon for March 24, 2027. The man with the famously elastic face has never been a relentless workhorse on the big screen, but he has clearly slowed his pace lately. In April 2022, he even announced a retirement that was “probable” during an appearance on Access Hollywood.
He appears to have walked back that decision, because beyond his attachment to the character of Dr. Robotnik, he’s likely to return in a sequel to one of his biggest hits.
Jim Carrey in Green and Against All Odds
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal and Imagine Entertainment are developing a sequel to How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the famous Christmas film released in 2000 and adapted from Dr. Seuss. And they’re counting on the film’s two architects of success, namely first the director Ron Howard, then, of course, Jim Carrey, who played the title character. The actor hasn’t signed yet: talks are ongoing. One can assume that bringing this late sequel to life will depend largely on his participation.
Howard, the decorated Hollywood filmmaker also behind Cocoon, Willow, Apollo 13 and The Da Vinci Code, has just endured a crushing flop with Eden. This is an opportunity for him to rebuild his standing at the box office. Indeed, How the Grinch Stole Christmas performed fairly well at the time, grossing $346 million in receipts, primarily from the United States, on a budget of $123 million. It remains popular on streaming services during the holiday season. The director is also producing alongside his partner Brian Grazer.
The script will be penned by Alec Berg, Jeff Schaffer and David Mandel, three writers who worked on Curb Your Enthusiasm, as well as the 2003 adaptation of The Cat in the Hat. How the Grinch Stole Christmas even spawned a separate animated retelling produced by Illumination in 2018. That version is expected to be a true sequel, though it may differ from the original in its technical approach.
Indeed, How the Grinch Stole Christmas is also known for being one of Carrey’s most challenging filming experiences, largely due to the elaborate makeup by Rick Baker and Gail Rowell-Ryan (which earned them an Oscar). As detailed in a Vulture article, he reportedly asked to walk away from the project and repay his $20 million salary after the first makeup session, which lasted eight hours. He reportedly faced severe panic attacks on set, so much so that Grazer recruited a specialist who trained CIA agents to endure torture.
There’s no doubt he needed guarantees to be convinced. The plan hinges on delivering a digital version of the character, which he would portray through performance capture, much like in the Avatar films. He himself floated this approach to ComicBook.com in 2024. We’ll have to wait for more details to know for sure.
