Production Begins on The Cat in the Hat

Posted on October 16, 2002

Production has begun on Dr. Seuss' The Cat In The Hat, a live-action feature film adaptation of the children's classic starring Mike Myers in the title role. A Universal Pictures/DreamWorks Pictures/Imagine Entertainment presentation scheduled for release in November 2003, the film is being produced by Academy Award winner Brian Grazer and directed by Oscar-nominated Bo Welch from a screenplay by Alec Berg, David Mandel and Jeff Schaffer. Production of Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat is scheduled to continue through January at Universal Studios and other locations in the Los Angeles area.

The Cat in The Hat by Dr. Seuss was first published in 1957 and remains one of the Top 10 bestselling hardcover books of all time. Myers stars as the mischievous feline visitor in the stove-pipe hat who shows two children that "it's fun to have fun but you have to know how." Dakota Fanning and Spencer Breslin portray the kids who are witness to the Cat's particular brand of anarchy and stylized, gravity-defying fun.

Kelly Preston stars as their mother and Alec Baldwin plays next-door neighbor Lawrence Quinn who fancies himself the kids' future stepfather, much to their dismay. Sean Hayes (Will and Grace) gives a vocal performance as the Fish, a character who deems himself the voice of reason when the Cat takes over the house.

The movie's executive producers are Maureen Peyrot and Eric McLeod. Bo Welch, an Oscar-nominated film production designer, makes his debut as a film director with The Cat in the Hat. He has previously directed for television with credits including episodes of The Tick and Secret Agent Man. Director Bo Welch's behind-the-camera team includes cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki (Ali, The Birdcage), production designer Alex McDowell (Minority Report), Oscar-nominated costume designer Rita Ryack (The Grinch) and editor Don Zimmerman (The Nutty Professor). Director Brian Grazer is both a writer and producer, and in 2002 he won the Best Picture Oscar for A Beautiful Mind.