Oh, the placesBill Haderwill go in next year’sThe Cat in the Hatmovie. Over seven years ago,Warner Bros. Picturessnagged the rights to make a new feature adaptation ofDr. Seuss’s iconic anthropomorphic feline. Now, the first trailer is finally here with theBarrystar voicing the titular character in a whimsical new adventure that expands on the world of the storybook original. Filled withcolorful and surreal visualsthat capture the children’s author’s style, the footage teases a new challenge that will take him around the planet and threaten his signature striped headgear. The film will bring a little magic to theaters on July 12, 2025.
Published in 1957, the originalCat in the Hattells the story of a young brother and sister who, during one cold and rainy day when their mother isn’t home, are visited by the cat and his assistants, Things One and Two. In their attempts to entertain the children, they make a mess of the house and annoy the family’s talking pet fish in the process, only for the feline to quickly clean, repair, and replace everything with a magical machine before he leaves. The trailer shows that there’s much more to the wacky new cinematic adventure, with Hader’s version of the furry creature getting caught upin some family-friendly chaoswhile trying to bring joy to children around the world. However, his greatest challenge awaits himwhen he encounters two siblings upset over their move to a new townand tries to cheer them up with his red trunk of tricks.
The Cat is no stranger to the big screen. Back in 2003, he wasinfamously played byMike Myersin the nightmare-inducing live-action adaptation that also featuredAlec Baldwin,Dakota Fanning, andSean Hayes. This time around,Borat Subsequent Moviefilmco-writerErica RivinojaandKung Fu Panda 3co-directorAlessandro Carloniwill attempt to right the ship and do the literary icon justice as writers and co-directors for the new film. They’ll alsohave a strong castto work with, includingQuinta Brunson,Bowen Yang,Xochitl Gomez,Matt Berry,andPaula Pellalongside Hader. More recently, the trio ofTiago Martinez,Tituss Burgess, andGiancarlo Espositowas announced to round out the bunch.
‘The Cat in the Hat’ Will Kick Off a New Animated “Seussiverse”
When Hader’s fancy feline takes over the big screen, it’ll mark the first theatrical Seuss adaptation since2018’sThe Grinchfrom Illumination. However, Warner Bros. sees it as only the beginning of a new franchise. The company’s animation head,Bill Damaschke, hailedThe Cat in the Hatas the “doorway into our own Seussiverse"during CinemaCon earlier this year, teeing up a bevy of films based on the children’s novelist. There’s already one other adaptation in the works inOh the Places You’ll GofromWickedhelmerJon M. Chu, which has beenin the works since 2021and is slated to release in 2028.J.J. Abramsis also producing in what will likely be one of several projects made in partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises.
The Cat in the Hatwill arrive in theaters on July 23, 2025. Check out the first trailer in the player above.
The Cat in the Hat
