Warner Bros.’s New Dr. Seuss Movie Achieves Rotten Tomatoes Score 5x Better Than Mike Myers Flop

A brand-new animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat is now in theaters, and it’s already accomplished what Mike Myers’ live-action version from 2003 was never able to do.

Erica Rivinoja and Alessandro Carloni directed and wrote the new adaptation, which stars Saturday Night Live and Barry alum Bill Hader as the voice of the titular cat. Matt Berry, Quinta Brunson, Xochitl Gomez, Giancarlo Esposito, America Ferrera, Bowen Yang, Paula Pell and Titus Burgess also have voice roles in The Cat in the Hat.

Audiences can now head to the movie theater to watch the new Cat in the Hat, which currently has a 49% score on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating very mixed reviews from critics. While Warner Bros. executives were no doubt hoping for a better reception, that rating is actually five times higher than the 11% that Myers’ film got back in 2003; the audience score was much higher at 59%, though.

Positive reviews praised the voice cast for their vocal performances in this year’s Cat in the Hat and called the film fun, humorous, clever, magical, and heartfelt. Critics who felt the opposite said it had too many gags and lacked the creativity of Seuss’ book; they also claimed The Cat in the Hat is obnoxious,too hectic, forgettable, and has a disjointed plot.

ScreenRant‘s Liz Declan also reviewed The Cat in the Hat, giving it a 5 out of 10 and saying that while the movie has some funny moments, it “undercuts its own wit, charm, and humor with a narrative that refuses any sort of cleaning up or streamlining.”

Whether the reviews were positive or negative, the consensus is that Rivinoja and Carloni made a film that’s a major improvement over 2003’s Cat in the Hat with Myers, which underperformed at the box office with a gross of $134 million. Along with the overwhelmingly negative reviews, it was also nominated for several Razzie Awards, which honor the worst films of the year, and won in the category of Worst Excuse for an Actual Movie (All Concept/No Content).

Several of Dr. Seuss’ books have been adapted for the screen over the years, including the movies How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Horton Hears a Who!, The Lorax and The Grinch, and the TV show Green Eggs and Ham.

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The new Cat in the Hat, which is expected to have a $20 million opening weekend, is part of a new partnership between Warner Bros. and Dr. Seuss Enterprises.

The next project will be an animated adaptation of Oh, the Places You’ll Go, directed by Wicked‘s Jon M. Chu and starring Ariana Grande and Josh Gad. It will arrive in theaters on March 17, 2028. Thing One and Thing Two, based on characters from The Cat in the Hat, is reportedly in the works as well.

The Cat in the Hat is now in theaters.

The Cat in the Hat

The Cat in the Hat is a whimsical adventure following the titular character on a mission for the Institute for the Institution of Imagination and Inspiration. Tasked with cheering up siblings Gabby and Sebastian, the Cat embarks on a fantastical journey, hoping to prove himself and retain his magical hat.