A brand-new fantasy movie starring The Mandalorian alum Giancarlo Esposito has arrived in theaters today. The movie was originally announced after the success of The Lorax, another property based on Dr. Seuss’s works. Cat in the Hat is now in theaters, starring Esposito, along with Bill Hader, Bowen Yang, Matt Berry, Quinta Brunson, Xochitl Gomez, and America Ferrera.
Bill Hader, who plays the titular Cat in the Hat, is the third SNL actor to step into the paws of the role. The character was infamously portrayed by Mike Myers in a live-action adaptation of the source material. After being critically panned, Myers’ cat-suit version of the character leaned more towards horror than being child-friendly.
However, Cat in the Hat (2026) does not seem to have that issue. While it is one of the few family movies already in theaters right before the holiday season, critics have not been happy with what the movie has to offer.
What to know about Giancarlo Esposito and Bill Hader’s new fantasy comedy movie
The Cat in the Hat takes a novel approach to the mythos of Dr. Seuss’s original work. In this version of the story, Hader’s The Cat in the Hat works for the Institute for the Institution of Imagination and Inspiration, LLC, an otherworldly company whose creatures entertain human children.
His CEO, Mr. Hoogeboom, wants to fire him, but HR representative Sherrie gives him one last chance. Hoogeboom reluctantly hands him a folder of the hardest cases and tricks him into visiting the supply closet, where the Cat discovers the Go-Backer, a stopwatch that reverses time.
Meanwhile, siblings Gabby and Sebastian have moved to Highland because their mother, Carmen, took a hospital job. Gabby misses their old home, and their strict landlady, Patty, bans pets, forcing the family to hide their goldfish, Waffles. When Carmen leaves for work, the Cat arrives through a small door to entertain the kids. After he shows them the Go-Backer, Gabby tries to use it to undo their move. In the ensuing scuffle, the watch falls into one of three boxes, each of which is a magical pocket dimension containing a family member’s belongings.
The movie is directed by Erica Rivinoja and Alessandro Carloni, who also serve as writers on the project. Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, and A Stern Talking To are the production companies. The movie is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
