“I know change isn’t easy, but this is a chance to make new memories”
Carmen- The Cat In The Hat
Fresh off the success of their tv show Lanterns, Warner Brothers heads into theaters with a brand new rendition of The Cat In The Hat. Gone are the live action attempts and over the top slapstick gags. Instead the 2026 version of The Cat In The Hat brings a beloved children’s story to the big screen in the exact way it’s meant to be seen.With an incredible ensemble cast of voice actors, jokes that land for kids and adults alike, and a heartwarming story forming the undercurrent of the movie, The Cat In The Hat will drive you to tears of laughter and heartfelt tears.
Did You Say Toot Fart?
Right out of the gate, anyone who sat through the Mike Myers version of The Cat In The Hat is going to recognize a shift in tone and style in this edition. The 2026 animated version of The Cat in the Hat comes out of the gate with a strong and perfectly cast voice cast. Bill Hader serves as the titular Cat In The Hat and nails the character perfectly. Not only does he capture the zaniness of the character from the classic story, but Hader manages to ground the character in a way that wasn’t present in the live action version. The peek into the background and the life of The Cat gives us a new and fresh take on the character that allows the audience to develop a connection to the troublemaking fun master.
“Today is going to be the best day ever” – The Cat
America Ferrera connects well in limited screen time as loving mother Carmen. Writers Caroline Williams, Erica Rivinoja, and Allesandro Carloni immediate provide parents taking their kids to the movie with a character they can connect with in Carmen. Xochitil Gomez and Tiago Martinez voice lovable fun-seeking kids Gabby and Sebastian respectively. With their world turned upside down, it looks like The Cat has finally met his toughest clients ever. Giancarlo Esposito brings incredible weight to the character of Mr. Hoogeboom, tapping into his rich baritone an experience playing a villain to create a boss that kids and parents alike will come to despise. For kids he represents a meanie, for parents Hoogeboom represents that boss everyone who has worked long enough has encountered that believes others have to fail for them to succeed. Cheering The Cat along is the wonderful Quinta Brunson serving as The Cat’s main cheerleader Sherrie from HR. The voice cast doesn’t miss. Even Matt Berry as Waffles the fish provides a good balance of seriousness and comic relief.
All The Things
Outside of the voice cast, the second area this version of the story connects with is by understanding what makes the original story so beloved. This version of the tale is inspired by but not a word for word retelling of the classic Dr. Seuss story. The writers and director perfectly captures what people love about the story ensuring those elements are incorporated while feeling fee to expand on the story and make it their own. The beloved Things are back in this version along with classical centerpieces like the magical couch and rhymes for days.
The story perfectly captures the elements of the story. Where this story succeeds is blending those beloved elements with what is a truly heartfelt story. While the Cat and his hijinks play out in full view, there’s an undercurrent that forms the heart of the story. Carmen and her kids relationship is explored in a way that may have some kids seeing their parents in new light and may bring some parents to tears by the end of the movie. The Cat In The Hat is a movie that manages to somehow strike the perfect balance of not taking itself too seriously while being just serious enough to have emotional weight. Sure there are joke and man do they land, but there’s also a seriousness to the tone that was missing from the live action. The all out slapstick gags are replaced by a specialized blend of jokes that will keep parents and kids laughing in the aisles. While the Cat has plenty of great jokes, it’s The Things that steal the show. The creative team aware this would likely be the case as the movie was being created, even managed to work in a joke about The Things getting their own movie soon. After watching this movie, if you’re bringing this creative team back, sign me up for a spinoff movie about The Things.
An Old Story For A New Generation
The Cat In The Hat manages to tell a beloved story in a new and fresh way. I can’t think of a single thing about this movie that I didn’t just absolutely love. The art was stunning and you can truly feel the amount of time and effort that went into getting it right. Lorne Balfe put together such a stellar and emotive soundtrack. Each highest high and lowest low truly met the moment when it came to the soundtrack. The voice cast could not have been better cast. Everyone came ready to work and put in a performance of a lifetime. The story reels you in with a warmth and familiarity while giving you an all new expanded version of the story. Not only do you meet The Things, you meet a whole family of things who bring the slapstick from the live action into this movie. For fans young and old this movie will land incredibly well. Everything you loved about the book is there with even more things to love added to the story. No longer is the story just about The Cat and his adventures with one family, but about a long line of history, service, and laughs.
Final Thoughts:
The Cat In The Hat strikes a perfect balance of serious and funny. There’s jokes for the kids and some that will have your kids staring at you because they don’t get the joke while you’re laughing. It’s a beautifully animated and acted movie that honors the story that inspires it while showing how much more there was to tell in the original tale. This movie is an instant classic that sets a new standard for anyone wishing to adapt classic children’s stories into animated movies.
