Search form

John Chu to Direct Adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ ‘Oh, The Places You’ll Go!’

Warner Animation Group and Dr. Seuss Enterprises announce new animated musical feature based on the famed author’s final book; other properties slated for new co-productions include ‘The Cat in The Hat’ and ‘Thing One and Thing Two.’

Dr. Seuss Enterprises, a global children’s entertainment company, and Warner Animation Group, have announced plans to bring on Jon M. Chu as director of the upcoming film adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ (Theodor Geisel) final book, Oh, The Places You’ll Go! The film, a globetrotting animated musical following a young adventurer as they journey through the joys and heartaches, and the peaks and valleys, of life, is set to debut in 2027.

Chu most recently helmed the film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning musical, In the Heights for Warner Bros., which was released this past summer in theaters and on HBO Max. Widely known for directing the worldwide phenomenon Crazy Rich Asians, one of the top 10 highest grossing romantic comedies of all time, he is also attached to direct Wicked, the feature-film adaptation of the record-breaking musical for Universal. For television, Chu serves as an executive producer and director of Apple TV+’s Home Before Dark, which recently debuted its second season. Previous credits include Step Up 2: The Streets, GI. Joe: Retaliation, and Justin Bieber’s Never Say Never.

Bad Robot Productions has been tapped to adapt Oh, The Places You’ll Go! for the big screen, marking the award-winning production company’s first foray into feature animation. J.J. Abrams will serve as producer on the film along with Hannah Minghella, Bad Robot’s Head of Motion Pictures.

Oh, The Places You’ll Go! is part of the growing slate of animated projects that Warner Animation Group and Dr. Seuss Enterprises are developing, including a film adaption of The Cat in The Hat that will kick-off in 2024 with Erica Rivinoja (South Park, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2) and Art Hernandez (Planes, Planes: Fire and Rescue) on board as directors; and Thing One and Thing Two (working title) an original feature length animated adventure. These film collaborations merge the whimsical worlds of Dr. Seuss with some of the most creative and visionary Hollywood storytellers and artists. Additionally, the hit Netflix series Green Eggs and Ham, will debut its second season on the streamer sometime mid next year. 

“We are beyond thrilled to bring one of the most beloved Dr. Seuss books to life for so many generations of Seuss fans,” commented Warner Bros. Pictures president, production and development, Courtenay Valenti. “The pairing of this classic title, with the creative excellence of Jon Chu and Bad Robot defines what we at WB try to achieve; marry great branded entertainment with singular creative talent.”

“Jon M. Chu is one of the most creative directors in the industry and we look forward to working collaboratively with Jon to capture the emotional and resonating messages found in Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” added Dr. Seuss Enterprises president Susan Brandt. “We’re thrilled to bring this beloved story to screen for fans with Mr. Chu and the teams at Bad Robot and Warner Animation Group.”

“As soon as we made the decision to adapt Oh, The Places You’ll Go! as a musical we knew we wanted to approach Jon,” shared Bad Robot head of motion pictures, Hannah Minghella. “Not only does he bring a passion and expertise in directing musicals, but he also brings a deep humanity to all of his work. We’re thrilled to be on this journey together!”

---

The original reference to Season 2 of Netflix's Green Eggs and Ham releasing on the streamer earlier this month was in error - will be released sometime in mid-2022. 

Source: Warmer Animation Group