Warner Bros. had an incredible run at the box office in 2025, stretching from “Sinners” to “Superman” and everything in between. Unfortunately, 2026 hasn’t been nearly as kind. Save for “Wuthering Heights” and “Evil Dead Rise,” it’s been a parade of flops and disappointments. Now, none other than Dr. Seuss aims to help get WB back on track.
The new “The Cat in the Hat” is the first Dr. Seuss animated movie at Warner Bros. Directed by Erica Rivinoja and Alessandro Carloni, it’s currently expected to pull in between $25 and $35 million when it opens in theaters next weekend, per Box Office Theory. That’s on the slightly lower end for an animated, family-friendly movie, but with relatively little competition in this arena up through Thanksgiving, it’s set up to have legs.
Inspired by the book of the same name, the film tells a new tale and sees the title character (Bill Hader) take on his toughest assignment yet for the I.I.I.I. (Institute for the Institution of Imagination and Inspiration, LLC): to cheer up Gabby (Xochitl Gomez) and Sebastian (Tiago Martinez), a pair of siblings struggling with their move to a new town.
This certainly isn’t the first time this book has received the cinematic treatment. 2003’s “The Cat in the Hat” led to a ban on live-action Dr. Seuss movies, bombing with $134 million worldwide against a then-huge $109 million budget. This latest interpretation was undoubtedly made with more frugality and, at least in the early going, has favorable prospects commercially, but it’s far from a guaranteed home run. The opening weekend range puts this movie on the verge of potential hit status, depending on how things shake out.
The Cat in the Hat is duking it out with Godzilla for the number one spot
Things could be comparable to “GOAT” ($27 million opening/$195 million worldwide) on the low end here. On the high end? “The Wild Robot” scored a surprise $35 million debut after rave reviews en route to $334 million worldwide. That would certainly be a more favorable outcome, especially if we assume this film’s budget is somewhere between $70 and $90 million, which is likely based on Warner Bros. Pictures Animation’s history.
“The Cat in the Hat” is also opening against “Godzilla Minus Zero,” which is similarly expected to open in the $25 to $35 million range. It will be a close battle for number one in North America. 2023’s “Godzilla Minus One” is the highest-grossing Japanese “Godzilla” movie ever and won the franchise’s first Oscar to boot. Now, its sequel is projected to do even bigger business, and momentum certainly seems to be on its side.
Mind you, this is a situation where both movies can comfortably coexist. They’re going for different audiences and should work well as counter-programming. In terms of more direct competition, there isn’t another family-friendly animated movie until Disney’s “Hexed” over Thanksgiving. That gives WB’s latest room to run.
This could be what the studio needs. The box office for “Clayface” helped firm up the future of James Gunn’s DC Universe with a $24 million, number one opening. Two in a row would be a nice way to bring 2026 to a close after WB suffered flops like “The Bride!,” “Supergirl,” “The End of Oak Street,” and “Digger.” The latter, specifically, is set to lose a lot of money at the box office, so a rebound would be most welcome.
“The Cat in the Hat” hits theaters on November 6, 2026.
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