Could the Cat in the Hat movie be Warner Bros's Pixar moment?

It fills an old fan like me with dread when we get a reimagining of a classic, but Warner Bros has just dropped The Cat in the Hat trailer, and it looks like the new animated movie might deliver. The Dr Seuss story will return to the big screen in 2026, and the trailer looks highly faithful and nostalgic while also offering something new and interesting.

The vibrant 2.5D animation style, or rather a combination of stylised 2D animation and CG animation, looks like a triumphant return to animated Warner Bros movies. It should certainly please fans who grew up with the Dr Seuss book much more than the 2003 live-action movie with Mike Myers. Could it also be the closest Warner Bros has got to a Pixar-level animated release?

The Cat in the Hat | Official Trailer - YouTube

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The new animated Cat in the Hat movie is being produced by Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and Dr. Seuss Enterprises, with DNEG providing the animation. Directed by Alessandro Carloni and Erica Rivinoja. Bill Hader leads the voice cast as the Cat in the Hat, taking the role played by Mike Myers in the hit-and-miss live-action film.

As well as bringing the Dr Seuss look into three dimensions, some parts of the trailer remind me of the animation style of Nimona and also Max's Gremlins TV series. That's likely to be DNEG's influence. But the animation has its own unique vibe as well. It looks like the style will change in the different worlds, veering towards CG realism in the real world while using cel shading in The Institute of Imagination.

Aside from the animation, casing Bill Hader as a character he once played in a Saturday Night Live skit is hilarious. What do you think? Let me know your thoughts on the trailer in the comments section below.

The Cat in the Hat movie is slated for release on 27 February 2026.

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