Sometimes we sit down to watch a new movie trailer and can only respond afterward with a single query: Why?
This is one of those times.
Illumination Entertainment, creators of the Despicable Me series, along with The Secret Life of Pets and Sing, are bringing us another take on the classic Dr. Seuss story, How The Grinch Stole Christmas!. Starring Dr. Strange himself, Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role, it promises to … basically tell the Grinch story over again, if the tagline is to be believed. It’s a tidy, one-sentence affair:
The Grinch (Benedict Cumberbatch) hatches a scheme to ruin Christmas when the residents of Whoville plan their annual holiday celebration.
Where have I seen that before? Oh that’s right—in every other adaptation of this story, most recently in Jim Carrey’s 2000 live action version.
The trailer for The Grinch sees the titular green monster behaving badly out in public—curiously, it seems as if he’s welcome to socialize among The Whos of Whoville in this iteration, but his property destruction in a local grocery store makes a strong case that this isn’t an arrangement in the Whos best interest. If you’re hoping to hear Benedict’s take on the character, you’ll have to wait—he doesn’t say much in the trailer besides “MAX!” Check out the full trailer below, and make your own theory about how much Cumberbatch must have been paid for this part. The Grinch hits U.S. theaters on Nov. 9.