As the Christmas season approaches, many families want to keep the tradition of watching a Christmas movie together. One of the most popular stories of the season is How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. A question arises: is the Grinch Disney? This article will provide a brief synopsis of the story and recount the history of the three Grinch films. Lastly, it will explain how to watch each film on different streaming services.
But, is the Grinch Disney? The quick answer is No.
It is mid-October, not quite Halloween, yet there are already several stores with Christmas displays. There is something magical about this time of year. As we inch closer to December and Christmas time, we may think of the North Pole and Santa, or gifts and decorations. It is a time for family and traditions. Perhaps one of the most popular family traditions is watching a Christmas movie together. There are several popular Christmas films to watch, and most of us have our personal favorites.
In 2022, we no longer need to worry about DVDs, and we have long forgotten about VHS tapes. Now, there is the simple convenience of streaming movies, and there are quite a few options from which to choose: Netflix, Hulu, Peacock, HBO Max, Prime Video, Paramount Plus, and, of course, Disney Plus.
When it is time to sit down and watch a Christmas movie, it can be cumbersome to try to figure out how to watch or what streaming service to use, let alone choose from the dozens and dozens of Christmas movies.
But out of all of the Christmas movies, the Grinch movies stand the test of time. Over the past fifty-six years, the Grinch has been in our hearts. Here is how to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas this Christmas season.
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The Three Faces of The Grinch
Nearly everyone knows his face. How could you forget that grumpy, hairy, green creature with his pot belly and sneaky smile?
That lovable Grinch has been around since Dr. Seuss, or Theodor Seuss Geisel, created the character for his very popular children’s book How the Grinch Stole Christmas, originally published in 1957.
If you haven’t heard the story before, it is about a grumpy hermit named The Grinch who lives on top of a mountain, Mount Crumpit, outside of Whoville. The Grinch was born with a heart “two sizes too small.” He is extremely annoyed with all of the singing from the town and comes up with a plan to ruin Christmas for the Whos.
Another character in How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a young Who named Cindy Lou. On Christmas Eve when the town of Whoville is preparing for a celebration, The Grinch puts his conniving plan into play with the help of his little dog named Max. He dresses up as Santa and attempts to ruin Christmas by stealing all of Whoville’s Christmas decorations and gifts, down to the petals of a poinsettia plant.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
As a result of the popularity of the children’s book, the 1966 version of the story originally aired as an animated television special. Younger generations may not be familiar with this classic Christmas movie. This is the one with the popular song “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” (with the notorious vocals of Thurl Ravenscroft).
This Christmas animated film shows The Grinch with his infamous evil smile that grows bigger and bigger. It is the one where he has yellow eyes and can barely fit down the chimney. The 1966 version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas is only twenty-five minutes long.
How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
The second version of this hit Christmas movie came out thirty-four years after the original. In 2000, a motion picture film version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, starring Jim Carrey, was produced. The story follows the same plot as the original animated Grinch movie, with a backstory of the Grinch as a young boy and his crush on Martha May Whovier. How the Grinch Stole Christmas, with Jim Carrey, is available on Hulu and HBO Max and is one hour and forty-five minutes long.
The Grinch (2018)
Eighteen years later, the third adaptation and the most recent of Dr. Seuss’s story is simply titled “The Grinch.” Universal Pictures produced this 3D computer-animated movie in 2018 and it runs one hour and thirty minutes. This film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as The Grinch, Cameron Seely as Cindy Lou, Angela Lansbury as Mayor McGerkle, and Rashida Jones as Donna Who. Pharrell Williams narrates the entire movie.
How to Watch The Grinch
Unfortunately, none of the three Grinch movies are available on Disney Plus. Disney did not create the Grinch and it belongs to Universal. However, the legendary 1966 original version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas is available on Peacock. Watch The Grinch online through the Peacock streaming service.
However, two versions of How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000 and 2018) are always available to purchase or rent on Amazon Prime Video. It is $3.99 to rent and $14.99 to purchase.
Other Famous Dr. Seuss Stories
Other famous Dr. Seuss storybooks include Green Eggs and Ham and The Places You’ll Go, an extremely well-liked graduation gift in recent years. As a very popular children’s book author, a few of Dr. Seuss’s other books were also turned into movies. These include:
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The Cat in the Hat (2003) is available on Netflix.
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Horton Hears a Who! (2008) is available on Hulu.
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The Lorax (2012) is available on Peacock.
So, let’s keep the magic of Christmas alive and get ready for some holiday cheer with any of the three Grinch movies. Cuddle up with some hot chocolate under your favorite cozy blanket with family and friends to watch Cindy Lou stop the Grinch from trying to steal Christmas.
