Warner Bros. Schedule Shakeup Separates 'The Cat In The Hat' From 'Hoppers'

And now it’s going up against Scream. No I will not do this in rhyme. Are you crazy? I don’t have the time.

The Cat in the Hat knew their initial matchup wouldn’t last. But who knew the new one would use a body cast? Warner Bros. has made a new slew of shifts in its release schedule. The most minor of them all is Warner Bros. Pictures Animation’s take on The Cat in the Hat, which moves up a week from March 6, 2026 to February 27.

From directors Alessandro Carloni and Erica Rivinoja, the film based on the Dr. Seuss classic would’ve opened up directly against Pixar’s Hoppers, where the audience overlap is a circle. Now, it has its own week to do business, and opens up an advantage with some overseas promotional opportunities. Its new competition is very demographically separate, as it goes up against Scream 7. Could end up being a gut in the hut. Bill Hader, Quinta Brunson, Bowen Yang, Xochitl Gomez, Matt Berry and Paula Pell star. As for that Thing One and Thing Two movie, there is no indication it has survived development according to Deadline’s schedule layout, however it could just be that it’s suffered delays similar to The Cat in the Hat (originally announced for 2024) and is therefore out of range. Longshot, but possible.

Bill Hader Leads Warner Bros. Pictures Animation‘s 'The Cat In The Hat' Into 2026

There are three films that the trades focus on as the major movers of this round. The first is the Frankenstein-inspired The Bride! written, directed, and produced by Maggie Gyllenhaal. One might recall it took over The Batman Part II’s October 3, 2025 spot when the currently scriptless film first departed for 2026. It actually got pushed up a week to September 26 back in July, but is now delayed the 5+ months necessary to take over the March 6 release date. Now in that September 26 spot is the very pricy Paul Thomas Anderson-directed, Leonardo DiCaprio-starring One Battle After Another, moving from August 8. The action comedy that also stars Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro and Regina Hall was considered inevitable to move; it just wasn’t known or apparent where. This gives access to both IMAX and 70mm screens. It will now open against Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie and the reportedly troubled Saw XI, so we’ll see if it still stands as a competitor.

However, that August 8 date still had IMAX reservations that couldn’t be broken. Enter the whitest horror director you know, Zach Cregger and his first film since Barbarian, called Weapons, starring Josh Brolin, Julia Garner and Alden Ehrenreich. Pulled forward from MLK weekend, one insider called the release shifts revealed Wednesday, “we lifted and shifted.” It’s going up against Disney’s Freakier Friday. And finally, David Robert Mitchell’s sci-fi movie Flowervale Street starring Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor goes from March 13, 2026 to August 14, 2026, essentially making it the studio’s player for the same time next year. That point in the schedule is currently in a widely unclaimed range among the major studios, currently standing alone. Warner Bros. believes it can make bank by drawing in last-minute summer audiences.

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Source: Deadline