The trailer has arrived for The Cat in the Hat, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation’s first full-length feature film, offering a lively new take on the classic Dr. Seuss story. Take a look above and learn more below.
Bill Hader voices the iconic feline in this all-new animated theatrical adventure — technically a reprise, if you count his turn as the Dr. Seuss character in a 2014 SNL sketch.
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The plot finds Cat summoned by the I.I.I.I. (that’s the Institute for the Institution of Imagination and Inspiration, LLC) for his most difficult job yet: cheering up Gabby and Sebastian, two kids struggling with a move to a new town. But being a whirlwind of chaos has consequences. If the Cat can’t help these kids find joy, he may lose his magical hat for good.
The trailer introduces a visually vibrant world, courtesy of DNEG Animation (Nimona, That Christmas), with kinetic energy and a playful tone that arguably feels more in tune with Seuss’ source material than previous screen adaptations. Alessandro Carloni (Kung Fu Panda) directs alongside co-director Erica Rivinoja, with both also handling writing duties.
Joining Hader are Xochitl Gomez, Matt Berry, Quinta Brunson, Paula Pell, Tiago Martinez, Giancarlo Esposito, America Ferrera, Bowen Yang, and Tituss Burgess. This marks a major animated return for The Cat in the Hat, following the 1971 CBS special and the infamously odd 2003 live-action film starring Mike Myers.
The animated feature kicks off a new era for Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, with another Dr. Seuss adaptation, Oh, The Places You’ll Go!, scheduled for 2028 under director Jon M. Chu (Wicked, Crazy Rich Asians, Into the Heights).
The Cat in the Hat opens in U.S. cinemas on February 27 and Australian cinemas on March 19, 2026.
