It was December 7th, 2000 — exactly 25 years ago — when a strange green, furry, grumpy creature made its first appearance in Italian cinemas: the Grinch. What we didn’t know back then was that this character was destined to become the symbol of every Christmas to come, turning into an actual definition used for anyone who doesn’t quite feel the holiday magic. 

From the origins to Ron Howard’s film

Once upon a time, guess what,
there was a town called Who-ville,
full of cheerful, friendly folks
who especially loved the great Christmas celebration.
There was only the Grinch who did not love it at all:
in fact, just thinking about it made him half-crazy.

This is how the rhyming tale written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss in 1957 begins — the first time the world met the Grinch. Not even ten years later, in 1966, Dr. Seuss’ character was brought to life in animation, becoming a 26-minute animated film directed by Chuck Jones and Ben Washam. Its success was immediate, and the decision by major U.S. broadcasters to air it every year during the holiday season greatly helped the Grinch enter our collective festive imagination. 

The real turning point, however, was the live-action feature film directed by Ron Howard and released in Italian cinemas exactly 25 years ago. Equally important — and perhaps even crucial — in solidifying the character was surely the choice of Jim Carrey as the Grinch.
His facial expressions and his ability to play with his voice and tone, which made Carrey famous, managed to rescue a film that may be questionable from a cinematic perspective but that continues to be a holiday staple. 

We still want the Grinch in our Christmas

Sixty-eight years after the book’s publication and exactly 25 years after the release of the film that made him mainstream — to the point of becoming a brand — the Grinch is still the king of the holidays. Proof of this can be found both in the countless collections that brands of all kinds create for the festive season in collaboration with the Grinch, and in the great success of the 2018 animated film, which made millions of new children fall in love with the grouchy green character.

In short, whether it’s the Grinch illustrated by Dr. Seuss, the first animated version from the ’60s, the one played by Jim Carrey, or the latest adaptation, each of us has a favorite Grinch who comes back every year to remind us to leave our daily grumpiness behind and open our hearts — at least on Christmas Day.