Winnie the Pooh isn’t the only beloved children’s character to be given a grim slasher update, with The Grinch himself set to star in one of his own titled The Mean One. Better yet, it’s arriving earlier than expected.
The return to the public domain and a culture keen on parody has led to the beloved Christmas character, The Grinch, brandishing a knife and slaughtering innocent people. Exactly what Dr. Seuss had in mind when he wrote his original books. The Mean One was originally set for a Dec. 15 release date but has seen it pushed forward in good news for festive horror fans.
The Mean One will now premiere on Dec. 9, a week earlier than originally anticipated. The unauthorized parody sees a very familiar face take on the role of The Grinch, with Terrifer’s David Howard Thornton playing the green scrooge. Choosing Thornton was part of the film’s pitch according to XYZ Film’s Alex Williams, with him saying the film meets halfway between Terrifier and The Grinch.
Considering the love for festive horror films like Krampus, it’s brilliant to see the halls being decked with more blood, guts, and gore. Otherwise, the holiday season is slim pickings for horror fans, with so few major films released that stress the festive angle to its horror.
In the Christmas spirit of giving, The Mean One will be available entirely for free online — likely due to The Mean One being an unauthorized parody. Director Steven LaMorte is best known for his Star Wars fan film Balance of the Force, and for helming several reality television specials.