Terrible news, boys and girls! The mean executives of Universal Studios have stolen the planned release date for How The Grinch Stole Christmas and replaced it with one that’s a full year later, Screen Daily reports. The new animated feature adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic—featuring the dulcet tones of Benedict Cumberbatch’s larynx as the Grinch—was originally scheduled for a theatrical release on November 10, 2017, but it seems as though the filmmaking process is not moving along as quickly as hoped, so it’s getting pushed back to November 9, 2018.
The new release date will give Illumination Entertainment—which scored recent big successes with Despicable Me and Minions—additional time to deliver a quality product capable of syphoning millions of dollars into Universal’s bank accounts, while still placing it in theaters during the winter holiday season, according to studio sources. Disappointed Cumberbatch fans eager to see their favorite actor embody a beloved illustrated anti-hero with silly hair and and flamboyant clothing will just have to make do with Marvel’s upcoming Doctor Strange for the time being.