Benedict Cumberbatch Gets Grumpy In The First Trailer For The Grinch

Merry Cumberbatch to us all. 

Illumination Entertainment released the first trailer for The Grinch, an animated update of the Dr. Seuss holiday classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Doctor Strange star Benedict Cumberbatch voices the green grump, although we don't hear a lot of him in the trailer.

If you've never celebrated Christmas or are somehow new to this planet, The Grinch centers on a cynical grouch who lives in a cave above the village of Who-ville. With a heart "two sizes too small," he developed a deep hatred for Christmas long ago and finally snaps. He decides to disguise himself as Santa Claus and steal the entire holiday away from the good people of Who-ville. 

The new flick is co-directed by Yarrow Cheney (The Secret Life of Pets) and Kevin Smith's longtime producing partner Scott Mosier (Clerks, Mallrats). If the animation style looks familiar to you, Illumination is the same studio behind the Despicable Me franchise. It's also not the first time the company has tackled a Dr. Seuss book: Illumination released The Lorax with Danny DeVito in 2012. 

Cumberbatch is the only voice actor announced for The Grinch, but from the looks of the trailer, a character who can't talk might steal the show. The Grinch's faithful dog and sidekick Max could end up as a fan favorite. 

Believe it or not, it's been 18 years since Jim Carrey starred in Ron Howard's live-action take on the tale. That movie still holds the record for the best opening weekend of any Christmas-themed film, although it only has a 53 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

We'll find out how the new version stacks up when The Grinch arrives in theaters on Nov. 9.