Something is going BUMP at Warner Bros. Animation, with President Bill Damaschke looking to turn the studio’s reputation around with an exciting announcement. A new animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat wants to play at WB, and cast members are already creating chaos and giving nervous fish a panic attack. Saturday Night Live and Barry star Bill Hader plays the Cat, with Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary, Miracle Workers), Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live, Fire Island, Wicked), Xochitl Gomez (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, The Baby-Sitters Club), Matt Berry (What We Do in The Shadows, The IT Crowd) and Paula Pell (Girls5eva, Saturday Night Live) starring as primary cast members.
Alessandro Carloni and Erica Rivinoja direct the new feature version of The Cat in the Hat from a script they wrote. Hoping to cause family-friendly havoc in theaters on March 6, 2026, The Cat in the Hat focuses on an imaginative cat trying to cheer up a pair of siblings who’ve moved to a new town. As the adventure unfolds, the Cat introduces the children to his friends, Thing 1 and Thing 2, pulls impossible objects from his bag of tricks and nearly gives a persnickety goldfish a heart attack.
“We are overjoyed to partner with our friends at Dr. Seuss to take audiences of all ages on an adventure into the beloved world of The Cat in the Hat,” said Damaschke. “With this incredible voice cast led by Bill Hader as the fun-loving, agent of chaos himself and our filmmakers Alessandro and Erica at the helm, we look forward to sharing this Seussian cinematic spectacle with audiences everywhere in 2026!”
“We are excited to see such an exceptional group of talent join the effort to bring this iconic propertyto the screen as an animated feature,” said Susan Brandt, the President and CEO of Dr. Seuss Enterprises. “It’s been an amazing experience collaborating with the team from Warner Bros. Pictures Animation so far, as they truly understand what it takes to capture the magic of The Cat in the Hat and share his brand of imagination and joy with a new generation of Dr. Seuss fans.”
Published in 1957, Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat is a staple of children’s book collections and libraries worldwide. Bo Welch directed a live-action adaptation of the story in 2003, starring Mike Myers as the titular Cat in the Hat. The film deposited $133 million in the Cat’s magic bag, with Spencer Breslin (The Santa Claus 3: The Escape Claus, The Kid, The Happening) and Dakota Fanning (Man on Fire, The Equalizer 3) starring as the bored children.