How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (also known as Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! and simply The Grinch) is a 2000 animated Christmas fantasy comedy film directed by Chuck Jones and written by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman. Based on Dr. Seuss's 1957 book of the same name, it was the first Dr. Seuss book to be adapted into a full-length animated feature film. The film is narrated by Anthony Hopkins and stars Jim Carrey in the title role along with Taylor Momsen (in her feature film debut), Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, Bill Irwin and Molly Shannon in supporting roles.
Because the film is based on a children's picture book, many additions were made to the storyline in order to bring it up to feature-length, including some information about the backstory of the title character and reworking the story's minor character Cindy Lou Who as a main character. Most of the rhymes that were used in the book were also used in the film, though some of the lines were to some degree changed and several new rhymes were put in. The film also borrowed some music and character elements that originated in the 1966 animated television special, such as the song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" and the Grinch's green skin tone.
Produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer's Imagine Entertainment and Steven Spielberg's Amblimation, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! was released by Universal Pictures in the United States on November 17, 2000 to mixed-to-positive reviews, with critics praising Chuck's direction, production values, animation, Carrey's portrayal of the titular character, and James Horner's musical score, but criticizing the script, innuendos and inconsistent tone. It was a huge commercial success nonetheless, grossing $363 million worldwide and becoming the sixth-highest grossing film of 2000. It was originally the second highest-grossing holiday film of all-time behind Home Alone (1990), until both films were surpassed in 2018 by the third film adaptation of the story. It was nominated for two Academy Awards (Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects).