The Cat in the Hat (film) was also committed to shooting Disney's "The Santa Clause 2", which was also delayed because Allen wanted a script rewrite. Due to a scheduling conflict with "The Santa Clause 2", he dropped out his role. In March 2002, the role of the Cat was given to Mike Myers, even though he had an argument with Grazer about starring in a cancelled film based on his "Saturday Night Live" sketch "Dieter". Myers stated in an interview that he was a long-time fan of the original Dr. Seuss book, and that it was the first book he ever read. Makeup for the
The Cat in the Hat words he found that rhymed. The words he found were "cat" and "hat". The book was met with immediate critical and commercial success. Reviewers praised it as an exciting alternative to traditional primers. Three years after its debut, the book had already sold over a million copies, and in 2001 "Publishers Weekly" listed the book at number nine on its list of best-selling children's books of all time. The book's success led to the creation of Beginner Books, a publishing house centered on producing similar books for young children learning to read. In 1983, Geisel said, "It is the book