I was among the many little kids whose first introduction to literature was the Dr. Seuss classic, “The Cat In The Hat” . The book was first introduced in 1957 and it is hard to believe it has been nearly 70 years since the chaotic but cool cat came into our lives, but it is even harder to believe it has taken that long for an animated feature version to hit screens. In fact the only previous cinematic encounter was the unfortunate 2003 live action version with Mike Myers that flopped critically and at the box office winning a pathetic 10 razzie nominations as one of the worst pictures of that year. The Seuss braintrust, notoriously fickle about film adaptations offered a thumbs down as well to that one, but are fully on board with this new take.
I am happy to report that, with the not inconsiderable contributions of Bill Hader, an Executive Producer who also charmingly voices the title character, this long gestating ‘toon version is worth the wait and should please fans – young and old- with the kind of smart, funny, and heartfelt treatment this Seuss delight has always deserved. The script problems of taking the rather thin housebound story Seuss dreamed up has more satisfyingly been addressed here thanks to directors and co-writers Erica Rivinoja and Alessandro Carloni who not only provide the backstory for this cat we could only drum up in our own imaginations, but serve up a blueprint for a visually swell trip into a Seussian world that finally is ripe for prime time as a kickoff to the holdiay movie season.
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Rivinoja in particular is an inspired hire, having spent years contributing to the subversive humor of South Park and winning Emmys in the process, as well as an writing Oscar nomination as part of the team who with Sacha Baron Cohen cooked up 2020’s Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. This ‘Cat’ has a certain hip factor and some choice cultural observations that adults will appreciate even more than their kids in an adaptation which also represents the first feature of the newly created (or recreated) Warner Bros. Pictures Animation division run by Dreamworks vet Bill Damaschke. It is a promising start.
Essentially the famous book was all set in the home of children Gabby (Voiced by Xochitl Gomez) , younger brother Sebastian (Tiago Martinez) , and of course pet goldfish Waffles (Matt Berry) whom the Cat drops in to entertain in his various ways. However did you wonder how he got there, and where he went later? Well it is all cleverly explained here. He has a job, working for the Institute for the Institution of Imagination and Inspiration (l.l.l.l.), a good hearted well intentioned employee who often goes sailing over the top with his assignments. He works for his wary and impatient boss Mr. Hoogeboom (Giancarlo Esposito), and bonds with others including friend and understanding confidante Sherri from H.R. (Quinta Brunson), and others including Pig In A Wig (voiced by Ryan Gaffney who is also Head Of Story for the film) , and Bowen Yang as full-of-himself intern, Gary.
His mission this time is to cheer up Gabby and Sebastian who have just moved into a new apartment with their mom, a nurse Carmen (America Ferrera) who is gone much of the time at the hospital. The kids have been told in no uncertain terms to behave by strict landlady Patty ( Paula Pell) who also stresses there can be no pets of any nature, forcing them to keep Waffles under wraps. Well, just wait until the CAT arrives and then the magic all begins, even to the point of Waffles revealing he can talk (and is often the voice of calm and reason in and out of the bowl).
This all sets up a lot of mayhem, the arrival in fine form of all the various “Things”, and the ultimate adventure with each character’s special box taking them on a wild ride as the Cat leads the way for a magical mystery tour of their lives. Towards the finale all of this gets a bit frenetic, as is the way of most kids stories in this day and age. Dr. Seuss’s witty rhyming musings give way here to a dazzling visual fantasia of sights, sounds, and vivid color. It’s fun no question, but fortunately the film all comes back down to earth to recapture the pure charm and heart also so important to the success of this version, and, yes that made the book the all-timer that it is.
At the center is a terrific vocal performance by Hader who really captures the spirit of a Cat In The Hat for a new generation. Berry makes for a wonderfully erudite Waffles, as the perfectly pitched voice cast delivers on all fronts including the always reliable Pell who makes landlady Patty more than a one dimensional pain in the behind. The ever-changing visual styles are also a welcome innovation over the usual CGI-driven ‘toons aimed at kids these days. This one is a genuine treat for everyone in the family. Shout out to the music, notably some bright songs including the title track, and Hilary Duff’s “CATastrophe”. Don’t leave during the end credits or you will miss a great bit replaying the entire movie in mere seconds.
Producers are Daniela Mazzucato and Jared Stern.
Title: The Cat In The Hat
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Release Date: November 6, 2026
Director/Screenplay: Erica Rivinoja and Alessandro Carloni
Cast: Bill Hader, Matt Berry, Quinta Brunson, Xochitl Gomez, Tiago Martinez, Giancarlo Esposito, America Ferrera, Bowen Yang, Paula Pell, Titus Burgess.
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hour and 43 minutes
