A popular version of the Christmas classic “The Grinch” got booted from Netflix, to the outrage of fans across the Internet. But it’s airing tonight on FX at 8 p.m. ET.
FX will air the 2018 CGI version of “The Grinch.” The timing will pit it against NBC’s “Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch Musical!” starring Matthew Morrison and Amelia Minto.
Netflix has yet to offer a reason for pulling the movie from its offerings. The film had been in the Netflix library for over a year.
However, Popculture suggests that the licensing deal ran out. Illumination and Universal Pictures co-produced the movie, and the companies may have wanted to reclaim the movie for themselves.
Universal is a component of NBCUniversal. And NBC is trying to sign up more subscribers to its streaming service, which is called Peacock.
So far, “The Grinch” is not available on Peacock. But it is possible to buy it through Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, Google Play or Fandango Now.
The 2000 live-action movie “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” with Jim Carrey is still available on Netflix. And the ultimate classic, the 1966 cartoon version, is up online.
The removal of “The Grinch” from Netflix follows the movie’s long run in the Top 10 on Netflix every month of this past year. In fact, Forbes called it the most successful movie on Netflix in 2020.
Animated films have generally done well on Netflix. But even among other animated movies, “The Grinch” has stood out. By early December, the film had set a record with 56 consecutive appearances on the Top 10 charts. And it had 77 non-consecutive appearances on the Top 10 charts for the entire year.
All of which just makes the disappearance of “The Grinch” from Netflix that much sadder. But for one night, you can catch it on FX in all its CGI glory.
