Warner Bros.' animated The Cat in the Hat opened at No. 2 at the North American box office this weekend with $20.5 million, finishing behind Godzilla Minus Zero, according to figures from Variety reported by ComingSoon.
The Dr. Seuss adaptation, with Bill Hader voicing the title character, added $10 million from 60 international markets for a $30.5 million global start. The film carries a reported $92 million production budget.
Audiences like it more than critics do
Opening-weekend moviegoers gave the film an "A" on CinemaScore, while critics were cooler, with a 45% score on Rotten Tomatoes. That split could help the movie hold on in the weeks ahead, since families have had few new options in theaters since Universal's Forgotten Island in September.
The start trails other recent Dr. Seuss films. The Grinch opened to $67 million in 2018, The Lorax opened to $70 million in 2012, and the 2003 live-action The Cat in the Hat starring Mike Myers debuted with $38 million before ending at $134 million worldwide. Box office analyst David A. Gross of FranchiseRe called the opening soft but said family animation tends to earn more from digital, streaming and TV licensing than from theaters.
The film is the first feature from Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, TheWrap noted, and its cast also includes Abbott Elementary creator and star Quinta Brunson and Giancarlo Esposito, giving the kids' title some familiar names for Black and Latino families.
At No. 1, GKids' Godzilla Minus Zero set a record for a non-English-language opening. Read Cup of Soul's coverage of the Godzilla Minus Zero opening and our weekend preview.
