Movies Explore: The Cat in the Hat 2026 Voice Cast: Who Plays The Cat, Fish, and Mom?

Meet the (2026) Voice Cast Behind The Cat, the Fish, and “Mom”

Warner Bros. Pictures Animation is bringing The Cat in the Hat back as a big animated feature, and the question fans keep asking is simple: who’s voicing the Cat, the Fish, and the kids’ mom?

Here’s the confirmed lineup for those key roles, plus the wider cast, the latest release-date situation, and some fun fan reactions pulled from Reddit and social media. (Release dates on older posts can be out of date—this movie has moved.)

Quick answer: Who plays The Cat, the Fish, and Mom?

Character	Voice actor	You may know them from
The Cat in the Hat	Bill Hader	Barry, SNL, a long list of animated voice roles
The Fish	Matt Berry	What We Do in the Shadows, The IT Crowd
The Mother (often just “Mom”)	America Ferrera	Ugly Betty, Barbie, Superstore

If you only came for those three names: that’s your answer. If you want the full cast list (and why these picks are interesting), keep going.

Watch the official trailer (and listen for the voices)

This version expands beyond the original rainy-day setup. In the new premise, the Cat is on an assignment to cheer up siblings adjusting to a new town—while still doing what he does best: escalating the chaos until it’s almost too late to fix.

Bill Hader as The Cat in the Hat: why the casting makes sense

Bill Hader’s comedic “tightrope walk” is basically built for the Cat: playful, fast, and charming… but with a mischievous edge that can turn a scene on a dime. That matters for The Cat in the Hat because the character has to be both:

the fun engine (the one who makes the story move)
the problem (the one who creates the mess)
the solution (the one who has to land the ending)

In other words: if the Cat’s voice performance leans too sweet, the chaos feels toothless. Too mean, and it stops being a kids’ fantasy. Hader’s range is a strong fit for threading that needle.

Matt Berry as The Fish: expect iconic complaining

The Fish has always been the story’s built-in heckler: the one character who looks at the Cat’s “fun” and immediately sees disaster approaching. Casting Matt Berry strongly suggests they’re leaning into that role.

Berry is famously good at delivering outrage with style—so the Fish should land as the “voice of reason” who is also, ironically, the funniest panic button in the house. If the Cat is the spark, the Fish is the smoke alarm.

America Ferrera as Mom: what we know (and what we don’t)

In early materials and listings, the character is often simply named The Mother (or “Mom”), which matches how the original book frames her: she’s the looming deadline. The Cat can cause as much mayhem as he wants… but once Mom gets home, the party is over.

America Ferrera’s voice tends to read as warm, grounded, and direct—useful qualities for a character that anchors the kids’ world and raises the stakes. Even if Mom isn’t on-screen constantly, her presence shapes the entire “can they clean up in time?” tension.

Full confirmed voice cast (so far)

Bill Hader as The Cat in the Hat
Matt Berry as The Fish
America Ferrera as The Mother
Xochitl Gomez as Gabby
Tiago Martinez as Sebastian
Quinta Brunson as Sherri
Giancarlo Esposito as Mr. Hoogeboom
Bowen Yang (role not publicly specified)
Paula Pell (role not publicly specified)
Tituss Burgess (role not publicly specified)

It’s totally normal for “undisclosed roles” to stay under wraps until closer to release—especially if the characters are cameos, surprises, or tied to spoiler-y plot beats.

What Reddit Reactions Say About the trailer (and the animation style)

The trailer sparked a lot of discussion about the new look and the “expanded universe” approach. Some viewers love the bold visual choices; others are still adjusting to the idea that this isn’t trying to be a page-for-page remake.

The Cat in the Hat | Official Trailer

Release date update (and why older posts may be confusing)

A lot of coverage and early social posts list a February 27, 2026 date—because that was the plan in mid-2025. But the film was later pushed to November 6, 2026.

If you’re planning your watch calendar (or writing your own post), always look for the newest studio-date reporting. One good tip: when a movie shifts dates, aggregator sites and older “trailer day” articles can lag behind for months.

What Reddit Release-Date Talk Says About the November move

Once the date change hit, Reddit threads immediately started debating what it means for IMAX and the crowded 2026 calendar. It’s less about Seuss specifics and more about how release-date chess works when studios reshuffle big titles.

Now that 'The Cat in the Hat' has moved to November 6, how are currently vacant dates going to be filled up?

An Instagram post that helped fuel early hype

FAQ

Is the Fish definitely a talking character in the 2026 movie?

Yes—casting and character listings explicitly identify “The Fish” as a speaking role, and the Fish is one of the most recognizable “counter-voice” characters in the Cat in the Hat story.

Is America Ferrera’s character named?

In major cast listings, she’s credited as The Mother (often just “Mom”), which matches the classic structure where Mom is the “time limit” on the Cat’s chaos.

Will the cast change before release?

It can. Animated films sometimes add surprise roles late in the marketing cycle, or keep roles unnamed until the studio is ready to reveal them. For now, treat the names above as the confirmed public cast.

When does The Cat in the Hat (2026) come out?

The current U.S. theatrical date is November 6, 2026.

Bottom line: the headline roles are locked in with a strong trio—Bill Hader (Cat), Matt Berry (Fish), and America Ferrera (Mom). If the trailer tone is any hint, this adaptation is aiming for a bigger, weirder playground than the original book—while keeping the core dynamic of chaos vs. consequence.

The Cat in the Hat 2026 Voice Cast: Who Plays The Cat, Fish, and Mom?