The Cat in the Hat (2003 film)

The Cat in the Hat (also known as Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat) is a 2003 American fantasy comedy film loosely based on the 1957 book by Dr. Seuss. Directed by Bo Welch and written by Alec Berg, David Mandel and Jeff Schaffer, the film stars Mike Myers as the Cat in the Hat, alongside Alec Baldwin, Kelly Preston, Dakota Fanning, and Spencer Breslin. It follows siblings Sally and Conrad Walden getting paid a visit by the Cat in the Hat, who plans to lighten up their rainy day with fun activities, while their mother Joan is at the office. All the while, Larry Quinn, the Waldens' sleazy next-door neighbor, plans to send Conrad to military school and mooch off of Joan for her wealth.

Produced by Imagine Entertainment, The Cat in the Hat premiered in Universal City, California, on November 8, 2003, and was released in theaters in North America on November 21 by Universal Pictures and internationally by DreamWorks Pictures. The film received overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics and was a box-office disappointment, grossing $134 million worldwide on a budget of $109 million. It was nominated for ten awards at the 24th Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture and Worst Director.

The negative reception of the film led to Seuss's widow, Audrey Geisel, canceling future live-action adaptations of her husband's works, including a planned sequel based on the second book, The Cat in the Hat Comes Back. An animated readaptation released by Warner Bros. Pictures is scheduled to be released in November 2026.