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 there were a lot of Dick and Jane devotees, and my book was considered too fresh and irreverent. But Bennett Cerf at Random House had asked for trade rights, and it just took off in the bookstores." Geisel told the Morgans, "Parents understood better than school people the necessity for this kind of reader." After three years in print, "The Cat in the Hat" had sold nearly one million copies. By then, the book had been translated into French, Chinese, Swedish, and Braille. In 2001, "Publishers Weekly" placed it at number nine on its list of the best-selling children's books