Summary
The 2003Cat in the Hatmovie starring Mike Myers is now trending on Netflix – and it’s the reason why Dr. Seuss’ widow won’t allow any more live-action adaptations of his books to get made.The Cat in the Hatwas directed by Bo Welch, the production designer behindBeetlejuice,The Lost Boys, andMen in Black, in his directorial debut. Myers plays the titular talking cat, who arrives on two bored children’s doorstep to make their lives a living hell.
AlthoughThe Cat in the Hataccurately reflects the bizarre visual style and bonkers imagination of Seuss’ source material, it ended up coming off as creepy. AlthoughMyers brings his A-gameto the title role, the Cat comes off as more of a monster than a lovable goofball.The Cat in the Hatwas panned by critics, earning a dismal Rotten Tomatoes score of 10%, and it bombed at the box office, grossing $133.9 million against a $109 million budget (viaBox Office Mojo).
Dr. Seuss' Widow Banned Live-Action Adaptations Of His Stories After Cat In The Hat’s Disappointment
AfterThe Cat in the Hatwas panned by critics and bombed at the box office,Audrey Stone Geisel – the widow of Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel – wanted to make sure something so disastrous would never happen to her late husband’s work again(viaToday). Geisel really didn’t want Myers to play the Cat in the Hat, but Universal insisted. When the movie flopped with the Seuss estate’s “spokescat” at the center of it, Geisel became a lot more discerning about adaptations of her husband’s stories.
Following the failure ofThe Cat in the Hat,Geisel decreed that her husband’s stories would never be adapted into live-action again. And she’s stuck to her word in the decades since. There have been successful animatedadaptations of Seuss’ books, fromThe LoraxtoHorton Hears a Who!, but there hasn’t been another live-action adaptation sinceThe Cat in the Hat. The goal is to avoid making another mistake likeThe Cat in the Hat, and that’s been working so far.
Why Mike Myers' Cat In The Hat Movie Was So Controversial
The Cat in the Hat is a really, really weird movie
Myers’Cat in the Hatmovie was so controversial because it seemed targeted towards adult audiences more than Seuss’ target market of children. It has a lot of crude double entendres that wink at the grown-ups in the audience and it relies on a lot of potty humor. Myers himself was criticized for playing the Cat with an impression of Bert Lahr’s turn as the Cowardly Lion inThe Wizard of Oz. But above all,The Cat in the Hatwas so polarizing because it’s a really, really weird movie –it’s like if David Lynch made a kids’ film.
The Cat in the Hat
Cast
The Cat in the Hat is a 2003 family comedy film directed by Bo Welch, starring Mike Myers as the mischievous titular character. The story revolves around two children, Conrad and Sally, who are visited by the Cat in the Hat on a rainy day, leading to a series of chaotic and whimsical adventures. The film is based on Dr. Seuss’s classic children’s book and features Dakota Fanning and Spencer Breslin.
