Warner Bros. Animation dropped the first trailer for its upcoming animated feature, and the localized Egyptian twist with Maged El Kedwany and Hatem Salah is giving us major nostalgia.
The first trailer for Warner Bros. Animation’s The Cat in the Hat just dropped, and while the vibrant animation looks incredible, the real talking point locally is all about the audio track.
Warner Bros. confirmed that the film will receive a premium Egyptian Arabic theatrical release on November 5, a day before its global release.
For anyone who grew up on the legendary era of Egyptian Disney dubs, this news hits different. Casting industry heavyweight Maged El Kedwany as the Cat and comedy favorite Hatem Salah in a leading role feels like a direct response to years of collective manifestation from local film fans.
Ever since major studios began favoring standard Arabic (Fusha) or scaling back on star-led colloquial dubs, a massive void has been left in regional cinema. This release feels like the first genuine step toward resurrecting that golden age, evoking the exact same cross-generational magic we felt when Mohamed Henedy voiced Timon or Yehia El-Fakharany became Woody.
The original English version features Bill Hader voicing the Cat, alongside Quinta Brunson, Bowen Yang, America Ferrera, Matt Berry, and Giancarlo Esposito. Directed by Alessandro Carloni and Erica Rivinoja, the plot expands Dr. Seuss’ classic 1957 narrative, following siblings Gabby and Sebastian as they struggle to adapt to a new city. The Cat arrives as part of the “Institute for the Institution of Imagination and Inspiration,” a new mythological layer built to restore wonder to their lives.
