Bill Hader Casts Cat in the Hat as Corporate Manager in New Film

The new animated film features 46 characters known as Things who speak in a fictional language called Thinglish. Bill Hader voices the title character in this adaptation of the Dr. Seuss story. The movie opens in theaters on Friday.

The narrative places the Cat in a corporate role rather than a traditional home setting. His objective is to entertain two children on a rainy move-in day. To accomplish this task, he recruits the Things, whose numbers range from One to 46. The characters communicate in a tongue that includes specific words for concepts like fish and time.

Xochitl Gomez, who voices one of the children, noted that the movements for the Things were choreographed by Chris Scott. The choreographer assigned actual meanings to specific gestures. Tiago Martinez, who plays the brother, demonstrated that one gesture means fish while another means now. Hader observed that the language includes tooting as a native element.

The cast discussed their backgrounds and hidden talents during a recent interview. Gomez mentioned she can mimic a cricket sound. Martinez said he can roll his throat to sound like Perry the Platypus. Hader asked if anyone could whistle and hum simultaneously. He added that he uses that trick on dates, often causing them to leave after the appetizer.

Quinta Brunson voices the Cat's wife, a character described as a work wife. She compared her acting process to her previous employment at BuzzFeed. She stated that the office atmosphere in the film felt similar to her past job. Giancarlo Esposito voices the Cat's boss. He said he had to learn how to behave appropriately in various situations for the role.

America Ferrera voices a single mother in the film. She expressed surprise at Hader's interpretation of the iconic character. She said he made the Cat lovable despite the character's distinct voice in the public imagination. Paula Pell voices the landlady. She praised the film's physical humor and the inclusion of subtle adult jokes.

The film is scheduled for release in theaters on Friday. It features a cast that includes Hader, Gomez, Martinez, Brunson, Esposito, Ferrera, and Pell. The story retains the core premise of the original book while updating the setting to a corporate environment.