The writer and cartoonist known as Dr. Seuss has brightened up the childhood of thousands of people around the world with his children’s books and picturesque characters. He was a storyteller with a unique and incomparable visual language that ran through each of his works. His portfolio is made up of more than 60 books, which have sold millions of copies and have been translated into over 20 languages. Among his best known books are Horton Hears a Who!, The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and, of course, one of the most popular ones: How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

This 1957 book, written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss, introduces arguably his most beloved character: The Grinch. He is a grumpy, hairy creature that lives on top of Mount Crumpit, far away from all the inhabitants of Whoville. The Grinch brags about having an overly small heart, and so he spends his days complaining about all that surrounds him, except for his only friend, a little dog named Max. Then, one day, sick and tired of the Whos’ yearly joy before Christmastime, he decides to steal Christmas altogether, but one little girl ends up teaching him a huge lesson. The story of this cranky character has been adapted and explored in all kinds of productions over the years. Here’s a look at all three movies (so far) featuring the Grinch.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)

     MGM Television

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! was the first adaptation of the 1957 Dr. Seuss novel, made for television. This production, directed and co-produced by Chuck Jones, recounts the classic story of the Grinch as he goes on a mission to ruin Christmas, and it aired on CBS in December 1966. Boris Karloff voiced this animated version of the Grinch and also served as the narrator, alongside June Foray, Dallas McKennon, and Thurl Ravenscroft. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! became a Christmas classic that remains relevant to this day, earning rave reviews from critics and a warm reception from audiences. Thanks to the enormous success of this production, two more specials were released featuring more of the Grinch’s adventures. In 1977, ABC aired Halloween Is Grinch Night, which served as a prequel to the original movie. Five years later, the network also aired The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat, which besides featuring the Grinch showcases yet another popular Dr. Seuss character.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

     Universal Pictures

Due to the huge impact of How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, a live-action version of the Grinch’s story was released in 2000. This production was directed by Ron Howard based on a script by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman. Being live action, producers had to find a suitable actor to embody a character like the Grinch. Stars such as Jack Nicholson, Robin Williams, Tom Hanks, Eddie Murphy, and Dustin Hoffman were considered, but the final choice to headline the production was Jim Carrey. Joining him in the cast were Taylor Momsen, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, Bill Irwin, Molly Shannon, and Anthony Hopkins as the story’s narrator. Although this is one of Carrey’s most memorable roles, it was a project that caused him a lot of stress: due to the weight of the suit and the amount of prosthetics he had to wear, the actor felt as if he was being buried alive, which made him feel extremely distressed. Because of this, and faced with the risk of having to stop the project completely, producers hired a torture specialist who taught Carrey several techniques to deal with the transformation and wearing the suit during filming (via Business Insider). Fortunately, Carrey was able to continue shooting, and the movie turned out to be a hit, with his performance being highly acclaimed. The film also became the second highest-grossing holiday film of all time after Home Alone, until the third Grinch movie came along to turn it all around.

The Grinch (2018)

     Illumination

The 2018 film The Grinch is, so far, the latest adaptation of the Dr. Seuss story. This one is a computer-animated film produced by Illumination, and directed by Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney. With a worldwide gross of $512 million, The Grinch became the highest-grossing Christmas film of all time (via Screen Rant), and as well, the highest-grossing Dr. Seuss film adaptation. Illumination was no stranger to the writer and cartoonist’s tales, as a few years earlier they had released The Lorax, based on the book of the same name. The Grinch follows the same story as the previous adaptations, but this time featuring the voices of Benedict Cumberbatch as the main character, alongside Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, Cameron Seely, Angela Lansbury, and Pharrell Williams, who serves as narrator. Despite the massive box office success of this film, it was not as popular with critics: while the cast and the animation were acclaimed, many people felt that this production was unjustified as it contributed nothing new to the story of the Grinch.