'The Mean One' Trailer Teases a Killer Side to One of Dr

‘The Mean One’ stars Art the Clown actor David Howard Thornton.

In a year full of many unlikely horror films, a new trailer for the bizarre, unauthorized horror adaptation of Dr. Seuss‘s beloved book How the Grinch Stole Christmas! has just arrived. The film, titled The Mean One, stars Terrifier 2 star and now-horror icon David Howard Thornton as a murderous version of The Grinch. The Mean One is directed by Steven LaMorte, who also receives a story by credit. The Mean One will be released theatrically this December, just in time for the holidays.

The trailer is a showcase of camp, indicating that this film will be so-bad-it’s-good fare that will prove to be a riot with the right audience. The trailer for The Mean One begins with the classic scene of Cindy Lou Who (renamed Cindy You-Know-Who) walking down the staircase of her home to find The Grinch disguised as Santa. However, the scene turns frightening when The Grinch attacks Cindy Lou’s mother. The trailer cuts ahead to 20 years later, and Cindy Lou is traumatized by the Christmas holiday.

When she returns to her hometown of Newville, she asks around about the “Christmas Killer,” who has never been caught. As the trailer goes on, the murderous Grinch returns to Newville to hunt several victims, but Cindy Lou will not go down without an epic fight. While the trailer makes the horror film seem like B-movie fare, it does seem to be a funny parody of slashers and one of the most classic Christmas tales of all time.

The Mean One is just one of several upcoming horror films based on classic children’s properties that have since come into the public domain. Among these titles is Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, which is currently scheduled to be released theatrically on February 15, 2023, as well as Bambi: The Reckoning and Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare. Atlas Film Distribution will distribute The Mean One theatrically. In addition to Thornton, The Mean One stars Krystle Martin, Saphina Chanadet, Chase Mullins, John Bigham, Erik Baker, Flip Kobler, Amy Schumacher, and Christopher Sanders.

The Mean One will hit theaters on December 9. Check out the synopsis and official trailer below:

“One Christmas Eve, in a sleepy mountain town, Cindy’s mother is killed and her Christmas stolen by the Mean One, a bloodthirsty green grouch in a red Santa suit. 20 years later, Cindy returns to Newville, where the monster launches another bloody reign of terror that threatens to destroy Christmas. Now Cindy’s got a bold new purpose: trapping and killing The Mean One.”