How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Neil Morgan wrote, "It was the easiest book of his career to write, except for its conclusion." According to Dr. Seuss, "I got hung up getting the Grinch out of the mess. I got into a situation where I sounded like a second-rate preacher or some biblical truism... Finally in desperation... without making any statement whatever, I showed the Grinch and the Whos together at the table, and made a pun of the Grinch carving the 'roast beast.' ... I had gone through thousands of religious choices, and then after three months it came out like that." By mid-May 1957,
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000 film) Phillips and John Davis in attendance, in which Jack Nicholson was in mind to play the Grinch. Additionally, the Farrelly brothers and John Hughes pitched their own separate versions. Universal Pictures held its pitch presentation with Brian Grazer and Gary Ross in attendance, but Geisel refused such offer. Grazer then enlisted his producing partner Ron Howard to help with the negotiations. At the time, Howard was developing a film adaptation of "The Sea-Wolf", and did not express interest in "Grinch", but Grazer talked Howard into traveling to Geisel's residence for the pitch meeting. While studying the book, Howard became interested