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F E A T U R E e d i t i o n 4 , 2 0 1 8 | c g w 1 3 hen Chris Meledandri set out to create the CG animated feature The Grinch based on the popular holiday tale, his artists and animators at Illumination went by the book – Dr. Seuss' children's book "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!," that is. Meledandri and his longtime co-producer, Janet Healy, along with his talented crew at Illumination, were heading into familiar ter- ritory for this project. First, they have found great success with endearing antisocial-like characters via their Despicable Me franchise. Second, they were breathing new life into a well-known story that started with a book in the late '50s, followed by a traditionally animated TV special that still airs yearly during the Christmas season, and, later, by a live-action film. In addition, this project marks Illumination founder/CEO Mele- dandri's third go at adapting the uniquely styled Seuss books into CG features (2008's Horton Hears a Who! while at Fox and 2012's The Lorax at Illumination). On the other hand, they would have the daunting task of expanding a 69-page book filled with unique visuals and rhym- ing verse. "I grew up with the wonderful Chuck Jones [TV special]. That design was so wonderful. We didn't want to just do an iteration of that. So, we went back to the book and used that as the starting point, the DNA, of how we would expand the sto- ry," says Yarrow Cheney, who co-directed The Grinch along with Scott Mosier. Every Who Down in Whoville Liked Christmas a lot...But the Grinch, Who lived just north of Whoville, Did NOT! Illumination expanded on the Dr. Seuss design language for the characters, loca- tions, and main story points: The people of Whoville embrace and celebrate the spirit, joy, and togetherness of the holiday season, but Grinch, who lives atop Mt. Crumpet outside of the town, detests the holiday and everything associated with it, and enlists the help of his loyal dog, Max, to steal the Whos' presents and decorations, and quell the holiday spirit in Whoville once and for all. For the feature-length Grinch, the filmmakers extended what was essentially a one-act play into a three-act structure, delving deeper into some characters, especially Grinch and his backstory, while retaining the book's timeless elements. In the film, Grinch (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a complex character, more mischievous and cranky than cruel. He lives in isolation with his best friend, a dog named Max, but he does see the townsfolk time to time when he has to venture into Whoville for supplies. Like every year, Christmastime strikes a nerve with him, and when he learns that the Whos are planning a bigger, Spoiler Alert! ILLUMINATION ARTISTS TRANSFORM THE STORY OF THE GRINCH WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS INTO A FULL-LENGTH CG FEATURE FILM BY KAREN MOLTENBREY W Images ©2018 Universal Studios.