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Production has begun on "Dr. Seuss' The Cat In The Hat," the highly anticipated live-action feature film adaptation of the beloved literary classic starring Mike Myers in the title role. A Universal Pictures/DreamWorks Pictures/Imagine Entertainment presentation scheduled for release in November 2003, the film is being produced by Academy Award(R) winner Brian Grazer and directed by Oscar(R)-nominated Bo Welch from a screenplay by Alec Berg, David Mandel and Jeff Schaffer.

"The Cat in The Hat" by Dr. Seuss was first published in 1957 and remains one of the Top 10 best-selling hardcover books of all time. Myers stars as the mischievous feline visitor in the stove-pipe hat who shows two children that "it's fun to have fun but you have to know how." Dakota Fanning and Spencer Breslin portray the kids who are witness to the Cat's particular brand of anarchy and stylized, gravity-defying fun.

Kelly Preston stars as their mother and Alec Baldwin plays next-door neighbor Lawrence Quinn who fancies himself the kids' future stepfather, much to their dismay. Sean Hayes ("Will and Grace") gives a vocal performance as the Fish, a character who deems himself the voice of reason when the Cat takes over the house.

The movie's executive producers are Maureen Peyrot and Eric McLeod. Director Bo Welch's behind-the-camera team includes cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki ("Ali," "The Birdcage"), production designer Alex McDowell ("Minority Report"), Oscar(R)-nominated costume designer Rita Ryack ("The Grinch") and editor Don Zimmerman ("The Nutty Professor"). Production of "Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat" is scheduled to continue through January at Universal Studios and other locations in the Los Angeles area.

A major international box office star, Myers broke records with his most recent movie, "Austin Powers In Goldmember," the biggest comedy of the year which has grossed more than $211 million domestically to date, making it one of the rare film series to have each film make more than its predecessor. "Goldmember," "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" and "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" were all written and produced by Myers who starred in multiple roles. In 2001, Myers starred as the voice of the title role in "Shrek," which has grossed $478 million worldwide and was honored in 2002 with an Academy Award(R) as Best Animated Film.

Bo Welch, an Oscar(R)-nominated film production designer, makes his debut as a film director with "The Cat in the Hat." He has previously directed for television with credits including episodes of "The Tick" and "Secret Agent Man." His production design credits include such diverse films as "A Little Princess" and "Men in Black," both of which brought him Academy Award(R) nominations, as well as "Men in Black 2," "The Birdcage," "Batman Returns," "Beetlejuice" and "Edward Scissorhands."

Brian Grazer has been making movies and television programs for more than 20 years. As both a writer and producer, he has been personally nominated for three Academy Awards(R), and in 2002 he won the Best Picture Oscar(R) for "A Beautiful Mind." In addition to winning three other Academy Awards(R), "A Beautiful Mind" also won four Golden Globe Awards (including Best Motion Picture Drama) and earned Grazer the first annual Awareness Award from the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign.

Over the years, Grazer's films and TV shows have been nominated for a total of 39 Oscars(R) and 17 Emmys(R). At the same time, his movies have generated more than $10.5 billion in worldwide theatrical, music, and video grosses. Reflecting this combination of commercial and artistic achievement, the Producers Guild of America honored Grazer with the David O. Selznick Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001. His accomplishments have also been recognized by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which in 1998 added Grazer to the short list of producers with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In addition to "A Beautiful Mind," Grazer's films include "Apollo 13," for which Grazer won the Producers Guild's Daryl F. Zanuck Motion Picture Producer of the Year Award as well as an Oscar(R) nomination for Best Picture of 1995, and "Splash," which he co-wrote as well as produced and for which he received an Oscar(R) nomination for Best Original Screenplay of 1986. Among his other films are "The Grinch"; "Nutty Professor"; "Liar, Liar"; "Ransom"; "My Girl"; "Backdraft"; "Kindergarten Cop"; "Parenthood"; "Clean and Sober"; and "Spies Like Us." His most recent film is "Blue Crush"; his upcoming film projects include "8 Mile" and "Intolerable Cruelty."

SOURCE: Universal Pictures