When will The Cat in the Hat movie premiere? Release date, voice cast details, trailer, and more

The Cat in the Hat movie is an upcoming animated film based on Dr. Seuss's 1957 children's book of the same name. The fantasy comedy film is slated to release on February 27, 2026. It is co-directed and co-written by Erica Rivinoja and the Italian filmmaker Alessandro Carloni. The film is produced by Daniela Mazzucato and Jared Stern and executive produced by Bill Hader and Susan Brandt.

The film's official synopsis, as per Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, reads:

"In the film, our hero takes on his toughest assignment yet for the I.I.I.I. (Institute for the Institution of Imagination and Inspiration, LLC): to cheer Gabby and Sebastian, a pair of siblings struggling with their move to a new town. Known for taking things too far, this could be this agent of chaos’s last chance to prove himself...or lose his magical hat!"

Everything to know about The Cat in the Hat movie

Warner Bros. released the film's official trailer, spanning 2 minutes and 13 seconds, on July 1, 2025. It showcases the titular character working at the Institute for the Institution of Imagination and Inspiration, LLC. The cat is sent on a mission to bring joy to Gabby and her younger brother, Sebastian after they move to a new town.

The Cat in the Hat movie is scheduled to release on February 27, 2026, in North America. It was originally set to release on March 6, 2026. However, the date was pushed ahead to avoid a box-office clash with Pixar/Disney's animated film, Hoppers, as per Deadline's report from March 19, 2025.

The film adaptation expands on the world created in Dr. Seuss's book and introduces new animals with rhyming names such as the pig in a wig, giraffe with a carafe, yak with a pack, the bug in a mug, and more. The first look of The Cat in the Hat movie was shared with fans at Warner Bros.' CinemaCon by Bill Hader and Bill Damaschke, the president of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, in April 2025.

The upcoming film is the second adaptation of the beloved children's book. In 2003, the story was turned into a live-action film directed by the production designer Bo Welch. Mike Myers played the leading role, alongside Dakota Fanning, Spencer Breslin, Kelly Preston, Alec Baldwin, Amy Hill, and Sean Hayes.

However, according to a report by The Guardian dated November 27, 2003, the film's crude humor was heavily criticized by both critics and audiences, ultimately leading to its classification as a box-office flop.

Voice cast and characters in The Cat in the Hat movie

A still from The Cat in the Hat movie (Image via Warner Bros.)

The Cat in the Hat movie features a line-up of talented actors, led by the Saturday Night Live alum Bill Hader as the titular cat. His boss, Mr. Hoogeboom, is voiced by the veteran actor Giancarlo Esposito. The young siblings, Gabby and Sebastian, are voiced by Xochitl Gomez and Tiago Martinez respectively, while America Ferrera, known for her work on Ugly Betty and Barbie, voices their mother.

Furthermore, What We Do in the Shadows actor Matt Berry plays the talking fish, and Abbott Elementary creator and actor Quinta Brunson lends her voice to a purple girl wearing a scarf. Additionally, another SNL star Bowen Yang, the Emmy award-winning screenwriter Paula Pell, and the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt actor Tituss Burgess have been confirmed to star in undisclosed roles.

Stay tuned for more news and the latest updates about The Cat in the Hat movie.

About the author

Deepti is an entertainment writer at Sportskeeda. She comes with more than 6 years of experience in the creative writing field and has written extensively for the entertainment and travel domains.

She holds a degree in Chemistry, but her true interest always lay in the creative field. A passion for reading from a young age fueled her desire to make a career change later in life and take up writing as her profession.

Apart from reading, her hobbies include watching movies, listening to music, and going to the beach. In her free time, she can be found looking up reviews of new and old films to add to her watchlist. She also enjoys watching foreign language films that help expand her knowledge base regarding different cultures around the world.

Asked to describe herself, she would promptly mention that she is a die-hard Swiftie and enjoys nothing more than listening to Taylor Swift songs on loop while writing.

Know More

Edited by Sriparna Barui