Jim Carrey to play Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol"

[tim_m]

 By Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Jim Carrey, who brought Dr. Seuss' Grinch to life on the big screen, will soon play another holiday curmudgeon, Ebenezer Scrooge, and three ghosts who haunt him, in a computerized remake of "A Christmas Carol," the Walt Disney Co. said on Friday.

Oscar winner Robert Zemeckis will direct the movie from his own script, based on the Charles Dickens classic novel, a Disney spokeswoman said.

The movie will blend live action with 3-D digital animation and a computer-graphics style called "performance capture," which Zemeckis used in his 2004 holiday adventure "The Polar Express" and his upcoming film "Beowulf," the spokeswoman said.

Zemeckis, the Academy Award-winning director of Tom Hanks' 1994 hit drama "Forrest Gump," wrote his "Christmas Carol" screenplay specifically for Carrey, who will portray the miserly Scrooge through various periods of his life. Carrey also will play the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future who visit Scrooge.

The movie will be produced through Zemeckis' production company, ImageMovers Digital, and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. No release date has been set.

Several Internet sites have reported that Bob Hoskins, who starred in Zemeckis' 1988 live-action/animated comedy "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," also has been cast in "A Christmas Carol" but Disney said no such deal is in place.

Carrey, 45, is no stranger to playing holiday-season heavies, having starred seven years ago as the title character in the Ron Howard-directed "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," based on the popular Dr. Seuss story.

"Grinch" was a huge box-office hit, but in recent years Carrey has suffered through a string of flops such as "Fun with Dick and Jane" and "The Number 23."

Dickens' classic tale of a bitter, old merchant given a Christmas Eve chance at redemption has been adapted many times for TV and the movies, including two Hollywood versions -- 1938's "A Christmas Carol" starring Reginald Owen as Scrooge and 1951's "Scrooge," with Alastair Sim in the title role.

http://www.reuters.com/article/filmNews/idUSN0619145620070708

[SLCPUNK]

Makes sense to me.

[GeraldFord]

A totally obvious and bad choice. He'll probably way overdo it. He was terrible in the grinch.

Shoulda went with Hopkins.

[tim_m]

I haven't seen the grinch so i can't comment really.

[Chelle]

Not a big fan of The Grinch, but Jim Carey is the shit.  Loved him in Eternal Sunshine....

[pilferk]

The thing with Jim is.....he's hilariously funny, but needs good direction to really shine.

He didn't get that with the grinch, and played it WAY too over the top and manic (which is saying something for an over the top character like the Grinch). That, combined with some shoddy "pop culture" writing really hurt that film, and it's ability to be a "classic".  It comes across dated even now.....

In Eternal Sunshine, he was more subdued, had better direction (IMHO) and was a much more effective actor.

Granted, the two pieces are obviously vastly different types of movies, but I think the point remains.

The question is: Will Zemeckis be able to reign Jim in.  I think he probably will, but we'll have to wait and see.

[tim_m]

It looks like this movie could have a star studded cast too. I checked it out on IMDB, rumored are Tom Hanks, Michael J. Fox, Bob Hoskins and Christopher Lloyd.

[JMack]

We know who's bones and chains will be rattling. J/k I wish the guy well