Originally intended for an earlier 2026 release, a new animated version of the Dr. Seuss classic, The Cat in the Hat is now projected to open in November of 2026 to better capitalize on the Christmas trade. It should be better received than the 2003 live action version of the story that featured Mike Myers…
Sometimes referred to as “The Cat who Fell Flat,” the 2003 movie was I think a better film than it’s often credited to be, although it’s a bit crass, and the humor is rather “out there.” A sequel was originally intended, but the widow of Dr. Seuss so disliked the film that she forbid live action films of her husband’s work to ever again be made. The successful How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) predated The Cat, and was a winner with Jim Carrey.
Believe it or not,the title role in The Cat in the Hat live action movie was originally intended for Tim Allen, but he had a conflict so the part went to Myers, who was a pretty big box office draw having done the Shrek films and the Austin Powers series. It’s really hard for me to imagine Tim Allen as the character, and I think that Myers brought the required manic energy to the part. While the makeup was a bit creepy, he did look more like a cat than the strange hybrid “cats” of the movie musical version of Cats. The 2003 live-action film adaptation faced heavy backlash for featuring adult-oriented humor that alienated family audienceswith adult double entendresand crude potty humor, and some have gone so far as to suggest that the Cat’s visual design and performative tricks are rooted in 19th-century blackface minstrelsy.I still love The Cat, anyways, who in this film appears appropriately enough to be on a reclamation proving mission for himself. This Cat is modern, appealing, and slick, without any apparent adult content.
This animation is friendly to the Cat in the Hat character, which was originally translated from the classic 1957 children’s book to an animated TV special in 1971. The upcoming 2026 film comes from Warner Bros. Pictures, so it has a good pedigree. Maybe we’ll have a Thing or Two to say about it…
We’ve got important news: Our hotel blocks will be opening on the 19th of June!
Last year the link was first shared with the verified convention chat. This year it will be sent to the email you used with concat, so if you’ve already registered, or plan on registering this coming week, be sure to check your email on Friday!
Keeping with the wolves, we have Muscles & Monsters, a new fantasy novel by Ashley Bennett. “After a wedding cake catastrophe on the street, local baker Tegan lands in the most unexpected place — a solid wall of fur and fangs named Atlas. She’s never met anyone like him and finds herself enamored by his wolfish charm. After their sweet encounter, Atlas invites her to his gym anytime she needs his cake-lifting services… However, Tegan is through with being a damsel in distress. She signs up for a membership with Leviathan Fitness, determined to build her strength…and if she sees the handsome wolven again, it’s a win-win scenario… Atlas can’t believe his eyes when Tegan walks through the doors of his gym, and nearly goes snout-over-paw to offer her personal training. Shared glances over the barbell and accidental touches at the water fountain set Atlas’s heart racing in a way he swore it couldn’t again… Primal desires emerge as Atlas and Tegan test just how much their new love can lift. Could Tegan be the unexpected mate of Atlas’s dreams?” Cozy romance with werewolves. What’s not to love? Take a look over at Penguin Random House.