Bill Hader is swapping the dark comedy of “Barry” for pure animated fun — while staying under the Warner Bros. Discovery hat.
Hader’s first project since wrapping his acclaimed HBO series in 2023 is the animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ “The Cat in the Hat.” Hader stars as the titular character who “takes on his toughest assignment yet for the I.I.I.I. (Institute for the Institution of Imagination and Inspiration, LLC): to cheer Gabby and Sebastian, a pair of siblings struggling with their move to a new town,” as the synopsis reads. “Known for taking things too far, this could be this agent of chaos’ last chance to prove himself…or lose his magical hat!”
Xochitl Gomez, Matt Berry, Quinta Brunson, Paula Pell, Tiago Martinez, Giancarlo Esposito, America Ferrera, Bowen Yang, and Tituss Burgess co-star in the animated film.
Alessandro Carloni and Erica Rivinoja co-write and co-direct “The Cat in the Hat.” Earlier this year, Carloni said during a Work in Progression session at Annecy, via Deadline, that WBD’s 2023 shelving of “Coyote vs. Acme” was sadly “representative of how painful and atrocious the industry can be,” especially for animated films. (“Coyote vs. Acme” was later sold to Ketchup Entertainment in 2025 and will receive a theatrical release next year.)
As for how their version of “The Cat in the Hat” will differ from other iterations, Carloni said they approached the source material with a fresh perspective. “We looked back at the book and wondered why the children become more confident by the end of the books,” Carloni said. “Deep down, is [the cat] the greatest child psychologist of all time? The greatest emotional support animal?”
In addition to “The Cat in the Hat,” actor Hader has another project in the works at Warner Bros. Hader is co-writing a series about the Jonestown cult massacre with “Damages” showrunner Daniel Zelman. Hader will serve as co-showrunner with Zelman and also executive produce, with Hader set to direct should the project move forward at HBO. A source told IndieWire that Hader could potentially star in the series as Jim Jones as well.
“Saturday Night Live” alum Hader previously won two Emmys for Best Actor in a Comedy for “Barry.” The series itself garnered 16 total Emmy nominations for writer/director/creator Hader across its four seasons.
Warner Bros. Pictures will release “The Cat in the Hat” in theaters February 27, 2026. Check out the trailer below.