The new Warner Bros. Pictures Animation under President Bill Damaschke has booked the cast for their upcoming feature take of the Dr. Seuss classic, The Cat in the Hat, which they’re producing with Dr. Seuss Enterprises with SNL alum Bill Hader playing the title role. Joining him are Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary), Bowen Yang (SNL), Xochitl Gomez (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), Matt Berry (What We Do in The Shadows) and Paula Pell (Girls5eva).
A global theatrical release of March 6, 2026 has been set. In this new feature version, directed and written by Alessandro Carloni and Erica Rivinoja, The Cat takes on his toughest assignment yet… to cheer a pair of siblings struggling with their move to a new town.
Pic is produced by Daniela Mazzucato and Jared Stern. Hader and Susan Brandt, the President and CEO of Dr. Seuss Enterprises are EPs. DNEG Animation will be the animation studio partner.
Said Damaschke, “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. 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!”
Brandt added, “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. 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.”
The Cat in the Hat was first published in 1957. Universal made a 2003 live-action version of the children’s book starring Mike Myers in the lead role; that movie grossing over $133M worldwide.
The Cat in the Hat is the first animated feature to debut as part of a slate of animated projects that Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and Dr. Seuss Enterprises are developing together. InSneider first had the news about Hader’s casting in The Cat in the Hat.