How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000 film)

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (also known as Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas or The Grinch) is a 2000 American Christmas fantasy comedy film directed by Ron Howard, who also produced with Brian Grazer, from a screenplay written by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman. The film was based on Dr. Seuss's 1957 children's book of the same name, as the first Dr. Seuss book to be adapted into a full-length feature film and the first of only two live-action Dr. Seuss films (followed by The Cat in the Hat in 2003). This was also the second adaptation of the book (after the 1966 animated TV special of the same name).

Narrated by Anthony Hopkins, it stars Jim Carrey as the eponymous character, with Taylor Momsen, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, Bill Irwin and Molly Shannon in supporting roles. The film centers on the Grinch, a misanthropic green creature who lives in a cave on nearby Mount Crumpit and despises the celebrations, as he attempts to sabotage their holiday plans in Whoville.

Produced by Imagine Entertainment, How the Grinch Stole Christmas was released by Universal Pictures in the United States on November 17, 2000. Upon release, critics praised Carrey's performance and the film's visual prosthetics but criticized its dark tone and humor; it has since gained a strong cult following. The film spent four weeks as the number one film in the United States and grossed $346 million worldwide, making it the sixth-highest grossing film of 2000. At the time, it also became the second-highest-grossing holiday film of all time behind the 1990 film Home Alone, until both films were surpassed by the 2018 animated version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The film won the Academy Award for Best Makeup; it also received nominations for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design.