Talk about a magical mashup — Ariana Grande’s crystalline vocals are about to meet the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss. Warner Bros. just dropped some seriously exciting news: Grande’s teaming up with Josh Gad to bring “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” to animated life. The project’s not hitting screens until 2028 (yeah, that’s a wait), but considering the creative firepower involved, it might just be worth marking those calendars.
Fresh off her stint as Glinda in “Wicked” — and honestly, who hasn’t been humming those tunes lately? — Grande’s clearly caught the acting bug. Her Instagram announcement practically sparkled with enthusiasm: “i love this book, i love this script, i love the beautiful world of @drseuss.” The triple-threat performer’s transition from pop princess to serious actor hasn’t exactly been a surprise to anyone who’s been paying attention.
Here’s where things get interesting. Unlike previous Seuss adaptations that basically handed filmmakers their plot on a silver platter (looking at you, Grinch), “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” is more… abstract. It’s that book everyone gets at graduation — you know the one — full of metaphors and possibilities rather than straightforward narrative. Which, come to think of it, might be exactly what makes this adaptation so intriguing.
Josh Gad’s joining the party too, bringing his particular brand of charm that’s made Olaf practically synonymous with modern Disney animation. Behind the scenes, they’ve assembled quite the crew: Jon M. Chu’s directing (clearly vibing with Grande after “Wicked”), alongside Jill Culton, whose fingerprints are all over classics like “Toy Story” and “Shrek.”
But wait — because this wouldn’t be a proper musical without some serious songwriting talent. Enter Pasek and Paul, the EGOT-winning duo behind “The Greatest Showman” and “Dear Evan Hansen.” These guys don’t miss. Their involvement practically guarantees we’ll be humming these tunes well into the 2030s.
For Grande, this gig represents something bigger than just another credit. After wrapping “Wicked: For Good” this November, she’s been strategically diversifying her acting portfolio — including, somewhat surprisingly, a role in “Meet The Parents 4.” She’s following a path blazed by other pop icons who’ve ventured into animation (remember Taylor Swift in “The Lorax”?), but there’s something different about this particular project.
Warner Bros. seems to be going all-in on their Seuss-verse expansion. With Bill Hader’s “The Cat in the Hat” adaptation in the pipeline and J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot production company involved, they’re clearly not just rehashing old formulas. The animation landscape’s shifted dramatically since the days of “Horton Hears a Who” — audiences expect more sophistication, more layers, more… everything.
Maybe that’s why this particular project feels so right for right now. As the lines between kids’ entertainment and adult animation continue to blur (just look at the success of recent Pixar films), “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” could hit that sweet spot — meaningful enough for adults, magical enough for kids, and hopefully authentic enough to do justice to Seuss’s timeless wisdom.
Then again, perhaps that’s exactly what the good doctor would have wanted.
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