Benedict Cumberbatch lends his distinctive voice to Dr. Seuss’ weird green creature who hates Christmas in this weekend’s top performer at the box office. The Grinch, based on Dr. Seuss’ beloved holiday tale, grossed $66 million over its opening weekend. The classic story was also brought to life on the screen in back in 2000, with Ron Howard directing and Jim Carrey starring. That live-action version grossed $55 million during its first weekend and rang up $345 million worldwide before exiting theaters.
The PG animated The Grinch reigns supreme at the box office and should have a lengthy stay among the top 10 heading into the holiday season as there aren’t any other Christmas movies planned for release. However, it’ll be giving up its spot on the top of the chart on November 16th when Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald begins its theatrical run.
The November 9-11, 2018 weekend’s other new releases – Overlord and The Girl in the Spider’s Web – were no match for the musical biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody. Audiences continue to embrace the story of Freddie Mercury and Queen, driving it to a decent second weekend box office take of $30.8 million.
Box Office Top 10: November 9-11, 2018
- The Grinch – $66,000,000
- Bohemian Rhapsody – $30,850,000
- Overlord – $10,100,000
- The Nutcracker and the Four Realms – $9,565,000
- The Girl in the Spider’s Web – $8,015,000
- A Star is Born – $8,010,000
- Nobody’s Fool – $6,540,000
- Venom – $4,850,000
- Halloween – $3,840,000
- The Hate U Give – $2,070,000
The Grinch Plot:
The Grinch tells the story of a cynical grump who goes on a mission to steal Christmas, only to have his heart changed by a young girl’s generous holiday spirit. Funny, heartwarming and visually stunning, it’s a universal story about the spirit of Christmas and the indomitable power of optimism.
Academy Award nominee Benedict Cumberbatch lends his voice to the infamous Grinch, who lives a solitary life inside a cave on Mt. Crumpet with only his loyal dog, Max, for company. With a cave rigged with inventions and contraptions for his day-to-day needs, the Grinch only sees his neighbors in Who-ville when he runs out of food.
Each year at Christmas they disrupt his tranquil solitude with their increasingly bigger, brighter and louder celebrations. When the Whos declare they are going to make Christmas three times bigger this year, the Grinch realizes there is only one way for him to gain some peace and quiet: he must steal Christmas. To do so, he decides he will pose as Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, even going so far as to trap a lackadaisical misfit reindeer to pull his sleigh.
Meanwhile, down in Who-ville, Cindy-Lou Who—a young girl overflowing with holiday cheer—plots with her gang of friends to trap Santa Claus as he makes his Christmas Eve rounds so that she can thank him for help for her overworked single mother. As Christmas approaches, however, her good-natured scheme threatens to collide with the Grinch’s more nefarious one. Will Cindy-Lou achieve her goal of finally meeting Santa Claus? Will the Grinch succeed in silencing the Whos’ holiday cheer once and for all?
