Warner Animation Group Expands Dr. Seuss Partnership, Announces Two New Features

The Seuss Cinematic Universe is set to grow.

Warner Animation Group (WAG), the feature animation arm of Warner Bros. Pictures, is expanding its existing partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises L.P., which licenses the works of the beloved children’s author.

Here are the details:

Two new features have been announced as part of the expanded partnership. The first is based on Oh, The Places You’ll Go!, the last of Seuss’s books to be published in his lifetime. The film is due to be released in 2027.

J.J. Abrams’s Bad Robot Productions (Star Wars Episodes VII and IX, Mission: Impossible – Fallout) will adapt the book in its first ever animated project. Abrams will serve as producer, as will Hannah Minghella, Bad Robot’s head of motion pictures.

The second feature is an original story starring Thing One and Thing Two, the mischievous twins from Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat. It is scheduled for 2026.

Development continues on WAG’s feature adaptation of The Cat in the Hat, which was announced alongside WAG’s partnership with Seuss in 2018. Erica Rivinoja (South Park, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2) and Art Hernandez (Planes, Planes: Fire and Rescue) have come onboard as directors. The film is due out in 2024.

Meanwhile, the Seuss adaptation Green Eggs and Ham, produced by WAG’s sister studio Warner Bros. Animation, has been renewed for a second season. The series premiered on Netflix last November, impressing us with the quality of its animation.

According to a statement, more collaborations between Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Warner Animation Group are expected in the future.

The Seuss partnership continues WAG’s general strategy, which relies heavily on high-profile existing IP. Of the seven features it has produced so far, four are based on Lego and one on Scooby-Doo. Its three next features are a Tom and Jerry reboot, a Space Jam sequel, and comics adaptation DC Super Pets.

Allison Abbate, evp of Warner Animation Group, commented on the forthcoming projects in a statement:

Our The Cat in the Hat is off to a terrific start with the incredible Erica Rivinoja and Art Hernandez at the helm. Oh, The Places You’ll Go! is one of Seuss’s most enduring masterpieces and its profound and poignant message resonates with fans of all ages. We are thrilled to be working with Hannah and J.J. at Bad Robot to bring this cultural touchstone to life on the big screen. And what could be more fun than to create an original story for Thing One and Thing Two? These two delightfully enigmatic characters will help us explore the magical world that Ted Geisel [Dr. Seuss] created with The Cat in the Hat and we can’t wait to jump in.

Source: Alex Dudok De Wit/ Cartoon Brew