Jim Carrey’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ Earned $138 Million at the Box Office
One of the most popular Christmas movies ever isn’t a single movie, but one story that has been told in many different ways. A Christmas Carol has been interpreted in over a hundred different movie adaptations making them an iconic part of Christmas for viewers.
It’s not easy for a version of A Christmas Carol to stand out in such a crowd, but Jim Carrey managed to do just that. And he created a movie that was very profitable indeed.
Jim Carrey starred in 1 of the most successful versions of ‘A Christmas Carol’
The adaptation of A Christmas Carol that Carrey starred in was released in 2009. According to Forbes, the movie was created using motion-capture technology. This medium allowed Carry to use his ability to adapt to any role to its utmost. He not only played Ebenezer Scrooge at all of his ages, but he also played all the ghosts who visit him.
Probably due to a combination of the enduring popularity of the story and Carrey’s remarkable talent, the movie made a staggering amount of money. It took in $138 million at the domestic box office, and a total of $325 million globally.
Clearly, Carrey made a pretty penny on this movie about valuing people over money. But it’s far from his only source of income.
Jim Carrey’s impressive net worth
Carrey isn’t just successful, but one of the richest comedians in the world. He’s reportedly worth $180 million (via Celebrity Net Worth), which means he’s come a long way from where he started.
Carrey was born in Canada in 1962. By the age of 10 years old, he was already passionate about comedy and impressions. He started his climb to fame by trying his hand at comedy clubs in Toronto. At the time, he was so young that his dad drove him to his gigs. He wasn’t very good at comedy at first, which is to be expected of a novice. But he kept trying, and he soon developed a successful act.
When he went to Hollywood, he wrote himself a check for $10 million and kept it in his wallet as a promise to himself that he’d be wealthy one day. By ’94, he’d made his way into movies, and started a string of hit roles. Carrey even earned $20 million for The Cable Guy, making him the first actor to receive such a monumental sum for a film. His well-known movies include Ace Ventura, The Mask, Dumb & Dumber, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
The many versions of ‘A Christmas Carol’
The original version of A Christmas Carol was the novella that was written by Charles Dickens in 1843. The classic Christmas tale was about Ebenezer Scrooge, an infamously selfish businessman, and the three spirits who visit him on Christmas Eve.
Scrooge learns from his ghostly visitors that he should care about people more than his money. However, Collider reports that filmmakers seem to have taken away the message that the world always needs one more adaptation of the famous story.
There have been more movie adaptations of A Christmas Carol than probably any other Christmas story. There have been versions that featured the Muppets, Mickey Mouse, the Flintstones, and even Mr. Magoo. And there have been musical adaptations, dozens of animated versions, and ones starring a dizzying array of A-list stars.
But even with all these versions to choose from, Carrey’s A Christmas Carol is one of the most successful. It’s ranked as the 6th highest-earning adaptation of the classic. Carrey has built an impressive history of success in his movie career. And his take on Ebenezer Scrooge is no exception.
