Grinch sequel: Taylor Momsen leaves door open to playing Cindy Lou Who again

Taylor Momsen, the actress and Pretty Reckless frontwoman who played Cindy Lou Who in 2000, told Today this week she’s open to reprising the role, after Universal confirmed actor Jim Carrey is in talks for a Grinch sequel.

TL;DR

• Momsen says “life is weird, so you never know” about a possible return as Cindy Lou Who.
• Universal and Imagine Entertainment confirmed in June that Carrey is in talks to reprise the Grinch.
• Director Ron Howard is attached to direct, the same job he held on the 2000 original.
• Momsen said in February she’d heard nothing about a sequel being in development.

Momsen’s tone has shifted since the sequel was confirmed

Momsen’s outlook has changed since February. At Steven Tyler’s 7th annual Jam for Janie Grammys watch party, she was asked directly about a follow-up.

“Not that I know of,” Momsen told the New York Post at the time, according to a Parade report. She said returning to the story might not be necessary, adding that the original had already earned its place as a holiday favourite.

Four months later, Universal made the sequel official. Asked this week whether she’d step back into Cindy Lou Who’s shoes, Momsen gave a softer answer. “Life is weird, so you never know,” she said, according to Today.

What we know about the Grinch sequel so far

Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment are developing an untitled follow-up to 2000’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, according to Deadline. Carrey is in talks to reprise the title role, with Howard returning to direct and Brian Grazer producing. We first reported on Carrey and Howard’s involvement as the deal came together at Universal in June.

No plot, title or supporting cast has been confirmed, and it isn’t yet known whether Momsen would return or the role would be recast. The reunion mirrors a wider trend this year: Tom Hanks and Tim Allen’s Toy Story 5 reunion drew similar excitement at CinemaCon, while Luke Wilson has said he’s just as surprised by his own franchise’s belated follow-up.

Carrey and Momsen reunited publicly for the first time in 25 years at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony last November, an encounter Momsen has since described as emotional.

Why this matters for UK fans

How the Grinch Stole Christmas has stayed a UK Christmas staple for a quarter of a century, helped by a family-friendly certificate that took it back into cinemas for its 25th anniversary last November.

Quick facts for UK readers

• Age rating: PG — Source: BBFC
• Worldwide box office (2000): over $345 million — Source: Wikipedia
• UK 25th-anniversary cinema re-release: 28 November 2025 — Source: BBFC

A sequel greenlit at Universal, with Howard back in the director’s chair, gives UK distributors a built-in release slot to aim for once a date is set — though nothing has been confirmed.