Though the 2003 Mike Myers-starring live-action The Cat In The Hat movie is something that most who've seen it would want to wash from their collective brains, the appeal of Dr. Seuss stories means that companies haven't stopped trying to adapt it. Warner Bros' Animation Group – normally found putting out Lego Movie spin-offs – has now hatched a deal with rights holders Dr. Seuss Enterprises to make an animated take on the tale.
And that's not all – the agreement between the companies includes the chance to make several Seuss-fuelled movies across the coming years. The first will chronicle the madness of the cat who helps two bored kids have fun. "Our Pictures Group is home to some of the world’s most popular film franchises, and we’re honored to add Dr. Seuss titles to that roster," says Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich in the sort of boilerplate announcement that the cat would never approve of. "With Warner Animation Group, we’ve really revitalized our feature animation activities, and this partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises will continue our move into world-class, wide-appeal animated fare."
It's somewhat of a surprise given that Despicable Me producers Illumination Entertainment had been exploring their own 'toon version of the story, to follow a planned new Seuss adaptation of How The Grinch Stole Christmas, simply called The Grinch. That film is scheduled for 9 November this year. As for the cat? While it's possible we could see dueling Hat movies, it's more likely that the new deal means Warners has taken over the rights to make it.
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