The upcoming ‘The Cat in the Hat‘ is a brand new introduction to a beloved character that expands on the issues we already find out about him. Voiced by the gifted Bill Hader, this animated theatrical function movie is an all-new, epic journey the place mischief, magic, and mayhem reign supreme.
The movie additionally contains the voices of Quinta Brunson (‘Abbott Elementary‘), Bowen Yang (‘Wicked‘), Xochitl Gomez (‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘), Matt Berry (‘What We Do In The Shadows‘), and Paula Pell (‘Summer of 69‘).
A scene from 2026’s ‘The Cat within the Hat’. Picture: Warner Bros.
Moviefone was in attendance at a digital press convention celebrating the discharge of the primary teaser trailer for ‘The Cat within the Hat’ that includes actor Invoice Hader, Warner Bros. Photos Animation President Bill Damaschke, and writers/administrators Alessandro Carloni and Erica Rivinoja, to study behind-the-scenes particulars of this new animated function.
Related Article: Bill Hader, Quinta Brunson and More To Voice New ‘Cat in the Hat’ Movie
1) ‘The Cat within the Hat’ Is A Utterly Unique Take On The Character
Warner Bros. Photos Animation President Invoice Damaschke. Picture: Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Photos Animation President Invoice Damaschke explains how ‘The Cat within the Hat’ would possibly function a beloved character, however it’s an authentic tackle him, which is one thing we now have not seen earlier than.
Invoice Damaschke: Animation’s at all times been a cornerstone of Warner Bros. however on this this subsequent chapter referred to as Warner Bros. Photos Animation, we’re actually doubling down on that dedication to authentic tales in addition to actually modern takes on a few of our beloved characters and worlds. And for ‘The Cat within the Hat’ to be our first movie simply looks as if the right, excellent venture as a result of it is truly all of these issues on the similar time. It is a fully authentic tackle a personality that I feel lots of people have a connection to, however dealt with and dropped at life by our filmmakers and by the very singular actor who performs the cat. It simply comes out in a method that is greater, higher, extra wonderful, and extra whimsical than you could possibly ever think about.
2) Invoice Hader Says This Is The First Guide He Remembers Studying
(L to R) Erica Rivinoja, Alessandro Carloni, and Invoice Hader attend a press convention occasion for ‘The Cat within the Hat’ trailer launch. Picture: Warner Bros.
Invoice Hader recollects that the primary books he remembers studying by himself are Dr. Suess books, and that he then learn them to his youngsters, so he was thrilled to be part of this story.
Invoice Hader: : Like all people, I bear in mind studying that e-book as a child, after which studying it to my youngsters, after which, I’ve labored with these guys earlier than on totally different tasks, and I’ve recognized them perpetually, so the mix of those two and the prospect to play such an iconic character? I used to be like, sure. The largest factor was I am a giant reader and I feel these have been the primary books I bear in mind studying by myself. It is a behavior I had. I get in mattress and skim a e-book, and I began that with these books. I bear in mind amassing them.
3) Invoice Hader May Be Nice At Improv, However Improvising Did not All the time Work With ‘The Cat within the Hat’
A scene from 2026’s ‘The Cat within the Hat’. Picture: Warner Bros.
Invoice Hader is well-known for his impressions and improvising abilities, however when speaking about ‘The Cat within the Hat’ he admits that this was not a film the place improvising labored within the sales space.
Invoice Hader: They wrote this extremely humorous script and so you did not have [to improvise]. Typically you do these items and you are like, oh man I gotta actually improvise lots and attempt to make it work someway however this was not like that. The script was lso insanely humorous and then on high of that, they have been like, yeah, strive stuff. So there was some little improvs right here and there. It was humorous. I’d improvise generally, and you could possibly simply see them go, let’s do one other one. Let’s do one as written, as a result of it could go too far off. It is bizarre as a result of they’ve it of their heads and I am simply reacting to the phrases and so that you strive a number of issues and however they’re excellent at speaking what the scene is and this is the emotion of it and this is what we have to attempt to convey.
4) Anticipate Extra Issues Than Simply Factor 1 and Factor 2
(L to R) Erica Rivinoja, Alessandro Carloni, and Invoice Hader attend a press convention occasion for ‘The Cat within the Hat’ trailer launch. Picture: Warner Bros.
Factor 1 and Factor 2 are such an integrel a part of the story of ‘The Cat within the Hat’. The fillmmakers didn’t wish to say an excessive amount of about them, however did affirm they are going to play a job within the film and there will likely be greater than you would possibly count on.
Erica Rivinoja: Nicely, they don’t seem to be well-behaved, I’ll say. They’re in keeping with the Issues that you simply meet within the e-book. And as you noticed within the trailer, we now have Factor 1, however we even have Factor 3, and plenty of, many extra. There’s many, many who come up. The Cat within the Hat is chaos, and the Issues are additional chaos on high of that. And so they’re so cute, too. So that you get all that chaos from them, however you are still like, oh, you are cute.
5) The New Characters All Have A Dr. Suess Asthetic
(L to R) Erica Rivinoja, Alessandro Carloni, and Invoice Hader attend a press convention occasion for ‘The Cat within the Hat’ trailer launch. Picture: Warner Bros.
‘The Cat within the Hat’ expands on the world that everyone knows and love, however these new characters will really feel as in the event that they completely match into that world, full with a Dr. Suess asthetic.
Erica Rivinoja: Our artwork crew was actually wonderful about utilizing Seuss’s aesthetic and his iconic form language and character language to actually assist design these. So that they really feel, there’s so many new characters on this film, however all of them really feel like Seuss.
Alessandro Carloni: Nicely, that is the factor is that as we observe Cat on the finish of the e-book and we uncover that entertaining kids and unhappy youngsters on a wet day is his job, there’s an entire company. It was mainly an establishment to create this. And as we all know, there’s Cat in a Hat, and we meet pig in a wig, yak with a pack, ox in a field, owl in a towel, goat in a coat. Once you complain about the truth that, oh my god, Cat in a Hat makes such a large number, however you do not wish to get rat with a bat.
6) Even Although It Is Uncommon, The Voice Solid Recorded In The Studio Collectively A Few Occasions
(L to R) Erica Rivinoja, Alessandro Carloni, and Invoice Hader attend a press convention occasion for ‘The Cat within the Hat’ trailer launch. Picture: Warner Bros.
In animation, it’s not quite common for the voice actors to report within the sales space collectively. For ‘The Cat within the Hat’ there have been instances that they have been in a position to do that, which the filmmakers imagine improved perfmances.
Alessandro Carloni: It is a uncommon factor, as a result of the factor about animation is that you do not get to e-book your actors all on the similar time. However we nonetheless insisted in eager to make it possible for this Invoice and his character had one thing to play in opposition to. So Xochitl Gomez, which performs our Gabby, considered one of our stars, that she’s such a breath of ffresh air when she comes within the room. However when Xochitl got here in, when Quinta Bronson got here in, watching these masters carry the scene to life is so thrilling.
7) Voicing A Character Is Extra Exhausting Than You May Suppose, Says Invoice Hader
(L to R) Erica Rivinoja, Alessandro Carloni, and Invoice Hader attend a press convention occasion for ‘The Cat within the Hat’ trailer launch. Picture: Warner Bros.
When speaking about his exprience within the sales space, Invoice Hader says that he felt like he was in good arms with the administrators, however there are nonetheless challenges in the case of voicing animation.
Invoice Hader: Folks suppose you roll away from bed and also you get to go and voice a cartoon and animate a film, and it is very easy. It is truly so exhausting afterwards, since you’re basically simply screaming for 4 hours. And then you definately’re saying the identical strains again and again, and so they simply begin to lose that means. They’ve watched me have a full-on existential disaster within the sales space. And so they’re like, all proper, we’re all simply going to go away. Simply go away me within the sales space. They flip the lights off, and I simply sit there. No. However that is the one factor is I simply I’ve to very consciously tempo myself since you do exactly get so drained simply screaming.
8) Invoice Hader Has Performed The Cat within the Hat Earlier than… On SNL
(L to R) Erica Rivinoja, Alessandro Carloni, and Invoice Hader attend a press convention occasion for ‘The Cat within the Hat’ trailer launch. Picture: Warner Bros.
‘The Cat within the Hat’ is not going to be the primary time that Invoice Hader has performed this character. He truly portrayed him on ‘Saturday Night time Dwell’. Whereas he does love the e-book, and wished to play him, that was not the rationale behind the sketch.
Invoice Hader: The ‘SNL’ factor was, they did not write that as a result of I really like ‘Cat within the Hat’. It was extra, I feel, the writers have been going by way of a problem of their marriage and determined to make use of the Cat within the Hat as a method of not directly commenting to their partner at residence, I feel is what was occurring.
9) ‘The Cat within the Hat’ Guide Is Used As A Leaping Level
A scene from 2026’s ‘The Cat within the Hat’. Picture: Warner Bros.
The story advised in ‘The Cat within the Hat’ continues to be tied to the e-book, nonetheless it’s used as extra of a place to begin, explains Alessandro Carloni.
Alessandro Carloni: We used the e-book extra of a leaping level for us within the sense that the e-book turned a query for us, which is, is that this cat actually simply on the market to have a very good time for himself and making a large number, or is there extra to it? We take a look at the e-book and notice that on the finish of the e-book, the child appears to be somewhat extra assured with himself. May it’s that the cat is definitely the best little one psychologist? So we mainly used the e-book as our place to begin, that is how our film begins, after which our film turns into an enlargement on that journey. We determined to observe the cat on the finish of the e-book to search out out the place does this man go and uncover, the truth is, the reality about him.
10) Alessandro Carloni and Erica Rivinoja Embraced The Uniquness Of The Guide To Create A Whimsical World
(L to R) Erica Rivinoja, Alessandro Carloni, and Invoice Hader attend a press convention occasion for ‘The Cat within the Hat’ trailer launch. Picture: Warner Bros.
Alessandro Carloni explains that in ‘The Cat within the Hat’ considered one of Dr. Suess’ characters enters the true world and interacts with kids, one thing that’s distinctive to this story. They used that to their benefit whereas creating this animated movie.
Alessandro Carloni: The individuality about animation is that very like in dwell motion, we now have wonderful performers creating the characters with us. However then it turns into about really something must be created from scratch, which signifies that all the pieces is open for us to think about what may it appear to be, what may it think about. In dwell motion, you get a number of stuff totally free in a method. Such as you shoot one thing, there is a tree within the background, you get that tree totally free as a result of it is there. You need to construct a tree and form every leaf and construct all the pieces on the planet, which signifies that you are able to do something you need, which is also daunting about what are you able to create. After which that is why we find yourself creating films just like the one we now have simply created, which we’re so enthusiastic about, the place we are able to truly get to discover fantastical, unbelievable worlds that we have by no means seen earlier than. The individuality factor about this e-book, that Erica and I took benefit of is that it is the solely Seuss e-book the place a Seussian, magical, whimsical character enters the true world to satisfy the kids. And so we determined to attempt to embrace that and improve that so that each time the cat enters from his world into the true world, after which we navigate into fantastical world, we created totally totally different seems to be of image, totally totally different aesthetics, and fully totally different animation types. So our world in our film is predicated on many, many various worlds and totally different aesthetics the place we traverse by way of in our journey.
The Cat takes on his hardest project but… to cheer a pair of siblings fighting their transfer to a brand new city. Read the Plot
What’s the plot of ‘Cat within the Hat’?
The Cat within the Hat (Invoice Hader) makes an attempt to cheer up a pair of siblings after they transfer into a brand new city.
Who’s within the solid of ‘Cat within the Hat’?
- Invoice Hader because the Cat within the Hat
- Xochitl Gomez as Gabby
- Tiago Martinez as Sebastian
- Matt Berry because the Fish
- America Ferrera as Gabby and Sebastian’s mom
‘The Cat within the Hat’ opens in theaters on February twenty seventh 2026. Picture: Warner Bros.