Warner Bros. Revives 69-Year-Old Children’s Classic In Star-Studded Trailer - MCE Notices | California State Portal

Warner Bros. is reviving a 69-year-old children’s classic with its latest star-studded trailer.

The studio has released its newest trailer for the upcoming animated comedy The Cat in the Hat, which is set to arrive in theaters later this year. The movie, which loosely adapts Dr. Seuss’ book of the same name, follows the titular Cat (Bill Hader) as he takes on a new assignment from the Institute for the Institution of Imagination and Inspiration (I.I.I.I.): cheering up brother and sister Sebastian (Tiago Martinez) and Gabby (Xochitl Gomez). However, he’ll have to act fast, as if he can’t make it through this assignment, he may lose access to his hat forever.

Now, Warner Bros. released a new trailer for The Cat in the Hat, showcasing its cast of recognizable stars and revealing more about the story. The trailer begins with the Cat’s boss, Mr. Hoogeboom (Giancarlo Esposito) giving him one last assignment to prove himself, being to cheer up Gabby and Sebastian after they move to a new city. While it begins well, things take a turn when Gabby tries using his Go-Backer to go to before they moved. This causes the device to get lost in a world of memories. Thus, the trio embark on an adventure to find it.

Check out the full trailer below:

During the trailer, it’s established that if they can’t find the Go-Backer in time, the entire universe might be at stake. During their journey, the Cat tries to use the vibrant universe of memories they’re exploring to convince Gabby and Sebastian that they can make new ones. The I.I.I.I. also becomes aware of what happened to the Cat, though it’s unclear what their role will be. The trailer also establishes a few other characters, including Gabby and Sebastian’s pet fish (Matt Berry), who the Cat gives the ability to speak, and the Things, with Thing 2 conspicuously absent.

The Cat in the Hat‘s star-studded cast is also rounded out by Quinta Brunson as Sherri, one of the Cat’s co-workers, and America Ferrera as Gabby and Sebastian’s mother. Bowen Yang, Paula Pell, and Titus Burgess have also been cast in undisclosed roles. The movie will be the first time the character has been on the big screen since the notorious 2003 live-action adaptation starring Mike Myers. It’s also much more adventure-driven than the simple premise of the original book, taking Gabby and Sebastian through memories while on a larger quest.

The 2026 animated movie is also expected to be the first in a planned shared universe of Dr. Seuss stories. This includes an animated adaptation of Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, which will be released on March 17, 2028, alongside a direct Cat in the Hat spinoff movie titled Thing One and Thing Two. This means the adventure may also include references to other books, while still keeping a core focus on Gabby, Sebastian, and the Cat.

With the promise of a big adventure on the horizon, it seems like The Cat in the Hat will deliver a multi-layered adventure that will have both importance to saving the world, alongside saving the film’s core siblings. With plenty of colorful moments in store, it seems like this will be a redemptive adaptation, something that will become clearer when the movie arrives in theaters November 6, 2026.