Jim Carrey has just signed to star as Ebenezer Scrooge--as well as the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future--in a Robert Zemeckis written/directed version of A Christmas Carol, reports Variety.. The elastic-faced comedian appears to have a penchant for playing Christmas-hating characters, as anyone who saw him in Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas will realize. Perhaps some unresolved issues from his childhood?
The movie, which will be produced by Jack Rapke, Steve Starkey, and Zemeckis under their ImageMovers company, will be made with "performance capture/Disney digital 3-D" animation combined with live action and computer graphics. Zemeckis wrote the script specifically for Carrey, so it's a good thing he said yes.
Bob Hoskins is also reported to be in the movie, as he let slip to the press, although no deals have been officially confirmed as yet.
Some quick stats:
Number of movies (silent, TV, animated, theatrical, etc.) named A Christmas Carol - 28. This does not include 1988's fabulous Scrooged.
Number of upcoming projects to which Carrey is attached: 5. (Robert Ripley in Tim Burton's Ripley's Believe it Or Not!; a gay prison escapee in I Love You Phillip Morris [from the Bad Santa team]; a 'reluctant nursemaid' in Me Time, and starring in comedies A Christmas Carol and Sober Buddies.)
What's 28 minus 5? The Number 23 - Jim Carrey's last movie. Coincidence? We think not.