Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is one of the most well-known holiday stories ever. Published by Randomhouse in 1957, the classic children's story follows a grumpy hermit with a heart "two sizes too small" as he hatches a plan to ruin Christmas for the Whos of Whoville by stealing their gifts and decorations. And although he successfully carries out his plan, he ultimately comes to the realization that Christmas is about more than just presents and feasting.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is a timeless classic that has seen many adaptations in the form of animated and live-action television specials and movies. But the story itself never received a proper sequel -- until now. Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Random House Children’s Books announced this week a sequel to How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, titled How the Grinch Lost Christmas!
Set to release on September 5, 2023, How the Grinch Lost Christmas! will answer one of the most popular questions from fans: what happened to the Grinch after he stole Christmas? The official synopsis reads:
A year has passed since the Grinch stole Christmas from Who-ville. Now eager to prove to the Whos that his heart has grown to LOVE the holiday, the Grinch devises a plan to win Who-ville's Christmas Crown by making the largest, most spectacular Christmas tree the Whos have ever seen!
But when things don't go as planned, the Grinch's heart turns ice cold, and he threatens to leave Who-ville for good...until one small, special Who reminds him that Christmas is NOT about winning.
How the Grinch Lost Christmas! wasn't derived from any newly discovered Seuss manuscript, but was instead written by Alastair Heim and illustrated by Aristides Ruiz, both of whom have experience in the Dr. Seuss universe. Heim has previously written If I Ran Your School and I Am the Cat in the Hat, while Ruiz has illustrated the Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library books for more than two decades.
“All throughout writing the story, I couldn’t fully believe that I was actually getting to play in the amazing creative sandbox Dr. Seuss created all those decades ago,” Heim told the Associated Press.
Nearly 10 million copies of the original How the Grinch Stole Christmas! book has been sold in North America, and the story has been adapted multiple times over the years. In 1996, the story was adapted into an animated TV special narrated by Boris Karloff which, to this day, remains a must-watch classic. In 2000, the titular green grump was brought to life by Jim Carrey in the Ron Howard-directed live-action adaptation. The most recent retelling of the holiday story was done by Illumination in the form of a computer-animated film starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the mean one. All three adaptations offer their own unique take on the holiday classic and each one shines in its own way.
This brings us back to How the Grinch Lost Christmas! Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! came out at a time when it was rare for publishers or studios to milk franchises. But fast forward 60-some years, and everyone is looking to capitalize on nostalgia.
Although the sequel has only been announced as a book, I wouldn't be surprised to see it adapted into a holiday special or theatrical film in the coming years. Given the popularity of the original, studios and streaming services would undoubtedly chomp at the bit for a fresh story starring one of Christmas' most beloved characters.