Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures Animation have decided to move The Cat in the Hat from Feb. 27, 2026 to Nov. 6 next year. Cat in the Hat is the first movie under the newly relaunched Warner Bros Pictures Animation under Bill Damaschke.
The Alessandro Carloni and Erica Rivinoja directed and written adaptation of the popular kids’ book is ready for February, the studio just prefers the pre-holiday corridor for global playability, Warners already having reserved the Nov. 6 date for an event film. November is home to such iconic family event franchises like Harry Potter, Home Alone, Frozen, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, Wreck-It Ralph, and Trolls. The previous big screen take of Cat in the Hat, which was live action, and starred Mike Myers, opened on Nov. 21, 2003 to $38.3M stateside ultimately grossing $101.1M domestic, a near $134M worldwide.
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Voices in the movie are Bill Hader, who plays the title role, as well as Xochitl Gomez, Matt Berry, Quinta Brunson, Paula Pell, Tiago Martinez, Giancarlo Esposito, America Ferrera, Bowen Yang, and Tituss Burgess. Pic is produced by Daniela Mazzucato and Jared Stern. EPs are Susan Brandt and Hader. Warners Bros Picture Animation is producing with Dr. Seuss Enterprises. DNEG Animation is the animation studio partner on the pic.
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Cat in the Hat leaves behind Spyglass/Paramount’s Scream 7 on Feb. 27, 2026 and arrives to a new corridor where there’s not any serious major studio wide entries yet. Disney has the date on hold for an untitled movie. Warners next February has the Emerald Fennell directed take of Wuthering Heights starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi opening on Feb. 13.
I think this is an okay decision. It was crammed into a packed animation schedule. Right after “goat,” and right before “hoppers.” This gives the film breathing room and holidays.
I imagine the movie’s ready. Why not put it in November of this year? Looking at the release calendar, the theaters could probably use a good family flick in the early part of the month.
Yes
I imagine they’re going to use it as a tax write-off.
I imagine that it isn’t ready.
I imagine they don’t want the run quashed in mere weeks by the Zootopia/Wicked double.
This.