The Grinch Goes R-Rated Horror Slasher Movie In ‘The Mean One’

The Grinch is a beloved character in children’s fiction, thought up by none other than Dr. Seuss. But this time… he’s R-rated and ready for carnage. The Mean One is a new take on an old tale, similar to Winnie The Pooh: Blood And Honey. Rather than stealing Christmas away only to change his mind and realize its true meaning, he’s out for blood.

The film’s official synopsis is: “The Mean One (David Howard Thornton) is a hairy, green-skinned grump in a Santa suit, living on a mountain high above the town of Newville, despising the holiday season. Young Cindy You-Know-Who (Krystle Martin), whose parents were butchered by The Mean One 20 Christmases earlier, is returning to town to seek closure… but is about to discover that this fiend with a heart two sizes too small is still quite eager to carve the roast beast.”

Luckily for fans of Terrifier, The Grinch is slated to be portrayed by none other than David Howard Thornton. Thornton is a modern horror icon for many, donning makeup as Art the Clown in the Terrifier films. Despite being a clown, his imposing and uncanny presence isn’t anything to laugh about.

Alex Williams, the manager of acquisitions at XYZ films released a personal statement about the film, and why exactly it was such an easy sell for him. He said:

“As a passionate fan of seasonal horror (and the ‘Terrifier’ franchise), ‘The Mean One’ is exactly the kind of film that lands on my personal ‘nice list.’ This movie is a stunningly great time with a ferociously subversive turn from David Howard Thornton — and XYZ Films is so proud to be bringing this soon-to-be iconic Christmas slasher to audiences this holiday season.”

While you might be assuming this film will roll around in a couple of years, it’s actually coming out on Dec.15 of this year. That means there’ll be enough time to recoup from all your horror-binging in October before settling in on the couch with some hot cocoa to watch your childhood get massacred.