THE GRINCH

Benedict Cumberbatch, Pharrell Williams, Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, Angela Lansbury In theaters Nov. 9 PG

IT ain’t easy being green! That’s the case for grumpy Mr. Grinch (Cumberbatch), who — yet again! — is on a quest to steal Christmas. Narrated by “Happy” singer Pharrell, the third film adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic, which follows the 1966 television special featuring the voice of Boris Karloff and the 2000 live-action flick starring Jim Carrey, tells the same story of the scheming Seuss scoundrel. However, the green guy gets a 3–D upgrade in this version! And it seems as though the sleek makeover has producers’ hearts growing three sizes — the Universal Pictures and Illumination family pic is expected to steal a major chunk of change at the box office in its opening weekend. The Grinch is reportedly headed toward a $50 million opening, with hopes to follow in the 2000 film’s footsteps. That year, the Ron Howard-directed film took in $55 million in its first weekend and grossed $260 million in the U.S., becoming the highest-grossing film of 2000 and the second-highestgrossing holiday film of all time, after Home Alone. Merry Christmas indeed!