Hunches in Bunches

The Cat in the Hat (also known as Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat) is a 2003 American fantasy comedy film loosely based on the 1957 book of the same name by Dr. Seuss. Directed by Bo Welch and written by Alec Berg, David Mandel and Jeff Schaffer, the film stars Mike Myers as the titular character, alongside Alec Baldwin, Kelly Preston, Dakota Fanning and Spencer Breslin. It is the second and final live-action film adaptation of a Dr. Seuss book after How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The story follows siblings Sally and Conrad Walden getting paid a visit by the Cat in the Hat, who plans to lighten up their rainy day with activities that ensue mayhem. DreamWorks Pictures originally acquired the film rights to the book in June 1996, although production did not begin until after the 2000 live-action film adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas was commercially successful. Several actors were considered for the titular character, before Myers landed the role in March 2002. Principal photography commenced mostly in California from October 2002 to January 2003, and 24 houses were constructed for the film's primary setting. David Newman composed the score for the film, while Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman wrote two original songs for the film. The Cat in the Hat premiered in Universal City, California, on November 8, 2003, and was released in North American theaters by Universal Pictures two weeks later on November 21. The film received largely negative reviews from critics with criticism going towards its humor and the Cat's appearance. It underperformed at the box office, grossing $134 million against its $109 million budget. Seuss's widow, Audrey Geisel was dissatisfied with the film and prohibited any further live-action film adaptations of her husband's works, including a planned sequel based on The Cat in the Hat Comes Back. The film was nominated for eight awards at the 24th Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture and Worst Director, as well as two awards at the 25th and 30th Golden Raspberry Awards.