When it comes to stage musicals, few are bigger than Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats. After making its debut in the 80s, the show has remained popular on Broadway ever since and continues to get adapted across the world, thanks to its powerful music and dance numbers. The musical is now perhaps getting its biggest adaptation yet though as it makes its way off the stage and onto the big screen in a new movie directed by Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech, Les Miserables) from a script that he wrote with Lee Hall (Rocketman).
Not all stage plays work as movies and Cats is one of those that instantly comes to mind considering its story is all about… well, cats and features its cast members dressed as felines. Still, its story, inspired by T.S. Eliot’s 1939 poetry collection Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, has proven timeless and so there is hope that despite this challenge, people will still want to flock to the cinema to see this magical story and its powerful musical numbers once again:
And I have to say that after all those rumours of expensive motion capture and big sets to bring the actors and their feline characters to life, that the results are… interesting. The characters look, well, like humans dressed in catsuits, which is pretty much what you get from the stage musical. The set and art direction certainly look impressive to make these human characters look the size of cats, but when the end result looks like it’s coming directly out of a stage play, you have to wonder if the effort was worth it all and if an animated version would perhaps not have been a better approach.
Still, as I said, Cats is a timeless story and the real power in this trailer is the small glimpses of the characters that you get, backed by the rousing musical performance of Jennifer Hudson. And it’s those acting and musical performances that you can probably expect to drive this film as alongside Hudson, it stars Taylor Swift, Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Idris Elba, Rebel Wilson, James Corden, Jason Derulo and newcomer Francesca Hayward.
Cats is set to release on December 20th and will represent the perfect holiday movie for those not obsessed with Star Wars.
Last Updated: July 19, 2019
Geoffrey Tim
July 19, 2019 at 08:43
https://media3.giphy.com/media/2yEwGqXiYhLr2/giphy.gif
Yahtzee
July 19, 2019 at 08:52
I must say it’s a pretty strange feeling coming from that Top Gun trailer that has me more hyped up than pre Anthem release gamers… to this.
Admiral Chief Umbra
July 19, 2019 at 08:52
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d2a501102d1df6eae984a81f50dfb03495165b3a3a5d6f8c248b822ef124d215.jpg
Geoffrey Tim
July 19, 2019 at 09:07
Ok, I laughed,
Admiral Chief Umbra
July 19, 2019 at 09:15
HAH, finally
Yahtzee
July 19, 2019 at 08:52
https://media.tenor.com/images/9691fde196de0f1d19e208f445a644aa/tenor.gif
G8crasha
July 19, 2019 at 09:07
With a star-studded cast as this, if it fails, that would be catastrophic.
Yahtzee
July 19, 2019 at 09:07
hur hur hur… Thanks. I hate it
G8crasha
July 19, 2019 at 09:15
Actually, only after I read you reply did I see how I could have played with the word CATastrophic. Honestly, that was never my intention. I really used the word for its intended definition.
Yahtzee
July 19, 2019 at 09:15
Riiiight… *wink wink*
CrAiGiSh
July 19, 2019 at 09:22
My god … what have we done …
Yahtzee
July 19, 2019 at 09:22
We were so busy wondering if we could instead of if we should.
Magoo
July 19, 2019 at 09:30
Every day, we stray further and further away from dog.
Pariah
July 19, 2019 at 10:45
This. I like this.
Magoo
July 19, 2019 at 11:02
I was trying to start a thread of dog puns. But subtly, without being too elabradorate.
Pariah
July 19, 2019 at 11:19
If that was your intention, you shouldn’t have made one that’s such a treat. It’s hard to follow up on those. 😉
Magoo
July 19, 2019 at 11:19
Guess I was barking up the wrong tree.
Pariah
July 19, 2019 at 11:20
Nah, you got our tails wagging for sure.
Magoo
July 19, 2019 at 11:39
I’m going to have to cut this conversation short. My girlfriend just ran away and I need to go Retriever.
HvR
July 19, 2019 at 11:48
I rather not comment; it is best to stay neutered is such scenarios
Magoo
July 19, 2019 at 12:13
Oh! That’s what you do when your parents made you boy, but you want to Beagle.
Pariah
July 19, 2019 at 11:57
Should’ve kept her on a leash…
Wait…
Magoo
July 19, 2019 at 12:04
Some people might say that was sexist, but I know you had an ulterrier motive.
Pariah
July 19, 2019 at 12:05
Sitting here, trying to be a good boy and come up with a clever pun, but I aint got shitzu.
Magoo
July 19, 2019 at 12:05
It’s a pity your parents made you boy. It’s clear that you actually wanted to Beagle.
Pariah
July 19, 2019 at 12:05
Reusing puns? Magoo… I expect better of you. No treats!
Magoo
July 19, 2019 at 12:13
It was a good pun. I can use it as many times as I want, canine not?
Pariah
July 19, 2019 at 12:14
Better. But of course, this is the CH comments section, so screenshots happened. At least it was only 3 times, 4 more and we’d have hounded you forever!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/22c717410feafa3c001944ac848c27f6ea72decae70006b29bd630af62de07c8.png
Magoo
July 19, 2019 at 12:21
I had to put it back for your sake, because I deleted to use it in active thread. Besides, you used treats twice, and that’s not even a pun, so quit Bitching!
Pariah
July 19, 2019 at 12:21
I at least used the disclaimer – “I aint got shitzu”. >_>
I’ll go back to my kennel now.
Magoo
July 19, 2019 at 12:35
Let’s just Collie it a day before someone mentions Wooframe and the Admiral Teef shows up.
Guz
July 19, 2019 at 09:38
Dafaq did I watch o.O
Llama In The Rift
July 19, 2019 at 09:38
Somebody call Hanz!!!
Yahtzee
July 19, 2019 at 09:38
https://media.tenor.com/images/8232f5711664420a595338e384332217/tenor.gif
Magoo
July 19, 2019 at 09:44
Holy crap dude I’m pretty sure this GIF is over 10 years old. >.>
Yahtzee
July 19, 2019 at 09:44
Cracked open a fresh one. It’s a good year
HvR
July 19, 2019 at 11:48
So old it only comes in 160p
Pariah
July 19, 2019 at 10:01
Timeless, effective, and classic.
DragonSpirit009
July 19, 2019 at 09:38
As much as I love the theater version of Cats, I don’t know how I feel about this movie version.
It reminds me when I was a kid and I saw it for the first time on tv. But with today’s tech and what not it would have been nicer if they CGI cats instead of human/cat hybrids
Geoffrey Tim
July 19, 2019 at 09:44
Yeah, it’s just oddly uncanny. it looks and feels wrong.
SagatatiaRZA
July 19, 2019 at 10:09
Not my proudest fap
Dr Webster Flexington
July 19, 2019 at 12:42
And so western civilisation came to an end, not with a bang but with a whimper, a purr and a surprisingly humongous hairball.
… wow…
Yahtzee
July 19, 2019 at 08:51
Coming this fall. FURRIES! The movie!
Guz
July 19, 2019 at 09:30
In other news cat costume sales have skyrocketed
Yahtzee
July 19, 2019 at 09:38
O.o
o.O
FAQyoumate
July 19, 2019 at 09:07
And you people said that Sonic movie was horrendous
Idris Elba? Dude, what the hell? You are better than this.
The Big Bad Wolf
July 19, 2019 at 09:22
Sure. Why not.
RinceThis
July 19, 2019 at 17:18
No!
Original Heretic
July 19, 2019 at 21:07
Isn’t this proof that the Area 51 raid was successful?