There are multiple references to Dr. Seuss and some of his works: A restaurant is named Horton's (Horton Hears A Who,) a character being called Doctor Zeus (rhymes with Dr. Seuss,) and a character drinks from a bottle named Geisel's (Dr. Seuss' real name is Theodore Seuss Geisel.)
XYZ Films announced Oct. 2, 2022 that they've picked up The Mean One for a December 2022 release. XYZ Films' Manager of Acquisitions and Development Alex Williams said in the announcement, "As a passionate fan of seasonal horror (and the TERRIFIER films), The Mean One is exactly the kind of film that lands on my personal 'nice list.' This movie is a stunningly great time with a ferociously subversive turn from David Howard Thornton, and XYZ Films is so proud to be bringing this soon-to-be iconic Christmas slasher to audiences this holiday season."
The film was thought to have fallen into obscurity until July 2023, where it was announced that it would be released on digital, DVD and Blu-Ray on October 3 that year.
Loosely based on the iconic 1957 children's book How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss about a cranky, Christmas-hating creature that ruins the holiday for a small town. The title "The Mean One" is taken from an original song used in the 1966 animated TV special. In the book, the special, and following appearances though, the Grinch doesn't kill anyone.
This is the third Dr. Seuss production to not be produced by Illumination and distributed by Universal Pictures, after Horton Hears a Who! (2008) and Green Eggs and Ham (2019). It is also the first one that's not for children.
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