Development , director and producerBefore his death in 1991,
Dr. Seuss consistently declined offers to sell the film rights to his books. However, following his death, his widow
Audrey Geisel began entertaining several merch deals, such as clothing lines, accessories, and
CDs. In July 1998, her agents made a significant announcement: the film rights to
How the Grinch Stole Christmas would be auctioned. The terms were stringent—suitors had to be willing to pay $5 million upfront, 4% of the box-office gross, 50% of merchandising revenue, 70% of book tie-in profits, and music-related income. In addition, any actor considered for the role of the Grinch had to be of a similar stature to
Jack Nicholson,
Dustin Hoffman,
Robin Williams or
Jim Carrey. Only directors or writers who had previously earned at least $1 million on a previous project were eligible to participate. Several studios and filmmakers pitched their vision for the live-action
Grinch.
20th Century Fox, with director
Tom Shadyac and producers Dave Phillips and
John Davis, pitched their version with
Jack Nicholson in mind for the Grinch. The
Farrelly brothers and
John Hughes also submitted their own versions. Other studios such as
Paramount Pictures and
New Line Cinema were also interested in purchasing the film rights.
Universal Pictures, represented by Brian Grazer and
Gary Ross, also made a presentation, but all offers were initially rejected by Geisel. Grazer, however, enlisted his producing partner, Ron Howard, to join negotiations. Though Howard was initially uninterested in a live-action
Grinch and was focused on adapting
The Sea-Wolf, Grazer convinced him to visit Geisel for a pitch. While reviewing the book, Howard became intrigued by Cindy Lou Who's character and developed a vision for a film with an expanded role for her, a deeper portrayal of the Whos, and a more fleshed-out backstory for the Grinch. During the pitch meeting, Geisel wanted Jack Nicholson as the Grinch but Grazer felt that he did not have the qualities that they wanted, she then responded on who he wanted for the Grinch and he replied that he only wanted to do it with Jim Carrey. In September 1998, Howard officially signed on to direct and co-produce the film, with Jim Carrey cast as the Grinch.
John Stamos auditioned for the role, but backed out due to being allergic to prosthetics. It was later revealed that Universal Pictures paid $9 million for the rights to
How the Grinch Stole Christmas and ''
Oh, the Places You'll Go!''. Before Howard's involvement,
Tim Burton was approached to direct but turned down the offer due to a scheduling conflict with
Sleepy Hollow. The final screenplay, written by
Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman (known for
Who Framed Roger Rabbit and
Doc Hollywood), underwent eight drafts before reaching a final version. Audrey Geisel had significant control over the script, vetoing several jokes she found inappropriate, including one about a family called the "Who-steins" who lacked a Christmas tree and presents. Additionally, she rejected the inclusion of a stuffed trophy of
The Cat in the Hat on the Grinch's wall.
Alec Berg,
David Mandel and
Jeff Schaffer, writers from
Seinfeld, contributed to an uncredited rewrite. The majority of the Whoville set was constructed on the
Universal Studios Backlot, located behind the iconic Bates Motel set from
Psycho (1960). The Grinch costume was made of yak hair, dyed green, and sewn onto a spandex suit. Carrey complained that the costume was itchy, that he could not breathe out of his prosthetic nose and that he could hardly see out of the painful yellow contact lens he insisted on wearing for the role. The makeup application process for Carrey took up to two-and-a-half hours each day, and Carrey often compared wearing the costume to "being buried alive." In his frustration, he once kicked a hole in the wall of his trailer.
Kazu Hiro, Carrey's makeup artist, recalled that Carrey was initially difficult to work with on set, often being irritable and disappearing during shoots. This led to significant production delays, with only three days' worth of footage being completed after two weeks of filming. Hiro eventually left the production, but after discussions with Ron Howard and Baker, Carrey agreed to control his temper, and Hiro returned to the set. To help Carrey cope with the grueling makeup process, producer Brian Grazer hired former
SEAL Team Six consultant officer
Richard Marcinko to train him in methods for "enduring torture". Josh Ryan Evans, who portrayed the eight-year-old Grinch, wore the same type of makeup and bodysuit as Carrey. Over the course of filming, Carrey spent 92 days in Grinch makeup and eventually became more comfortable with the process. Most of the makeup appliances used for the actors were connected to their upper lips, along with prosthetic noses, ears, dentures, and wigs. To keep Carrey's spirits up during production, Howard once donned a Grinch suit himself, and on another occasion, he invited actor
Don Knotts to the set, knowing Carrey was a fan of Knotts' work. Carrey also wore uncomfortable yellow contact lenses for his portrayal of the Grinch, but due to the discomfort, many scenes required post-production digital alterations to color his eyes. At a press conference for
Me, Myself & Irene in June 2000, Carrey discussed his motivations for portraying the Grinch, saying, "I looked at him as not just being an angry guy. Nobody is just an angry guy. What we are is hurt, whether it's self-imposed or something happened to us. That made me able to make [the Grinch] sympathetic. That's how I approached it. This is a guy who wants to be invited to the party, but can't admit it to himself". During one scene, where the Grinch is directing his dog, Max, Carrey improvised by mimicking Howard's directing style. Howard found the impression hilarious and decided to include the moment in the final cut of the film.
Visual effects The film's visual effects were provided by
Rhythm & Hues Studios (R&H) and
Digital Domain, who crafted the CGI environments and characters. In addition to the visual effects, the movie relied heavily on practical effects and extensive makeup to transform Jim Carrey into the Grinch. This involved hours of makeup application using pioneering techniques that allowed for flexibility in Carrey's facial expressions, enabling him to maintain his comedic timing and exaggerated movements despite the prosthetics. ==Music==