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Cats is a 2019 musical fantasy film based on the 1981 Tony Award-winning stage musical of the same name by Andrew Lloyd Webber, which in turn was based on the poetry collection Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (1939) by T. S. Eliot. The film is directed by Tom Hooper, in his second feature musical following Les Misérables (2012), from a screenplay by Lee Hall and Hooper. The film features an ensemble cast, including James Corden, Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson, and Francesca Hayward.

Cats was theatrically released in the United Kingdom and the United States on 20 December 2019, by Universal Pictures, to a negative response from critics, who criticized the visual effects, editing, and performances,[1][2] and is considered one of the worst movies ever made.[3][4][5] The film was also a box-office bomb, grossing $75 million on a budget of $80 – $100 million, and is estimated to have lost Universal Pictures $114 million.

Plot[]

Victoria, a young white cat, is thrown out of a car in the streets of London in the middle of the night. The alley cats witnessing this introduce themselves to her as the "Jellicles". Two toms, meek magician Mr. Mistoffelees and the loyal Munkustrap, and two queens, the snooty Cassandra and Demeter, take Victoria under their wing and show her the world of the Jellicles as they prepare for the Jellicle Ball, an annual ceremony where cats compete to be chosen to go to the Heaviside Layer and be granted a new life.

Throughout the film, the Jellicle Ball competitors are introduced and sing about themselves: the characters include Jennyanydots, a domestic tabby, who boosts the productivity of mice and roaches; the Rum Tum Tugger, a flirtatious tom who riles up the others; Grizabella, a "glamour cat" that has seen better days; Bustopher Jones, a bourgeois cat who boasts about his weight and shares food scraps from the garbage; Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat, a tidy ginger cat who tap dances and supervises the operation of a train; Gus, an aged theatrical cat who has played some of the biggest roles in history; and Macavity, a villainous stray capable of apparating. Macavity kidnaps the other contestants (save for Tugger) so that he can be made the Jellicle Choice by default.

Victoria also happens to meet the mischievous twins Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, who enjoy causing trouble and messing with things in the house of their human family. They convince Victoria to join in the fun but leave her tangled up in some necklaces when the family dog is alerted to their presence. Luckily, Mr. Mistoffelees comes to rescue Victoria, distracting the dog and escaping with her. They return to the group, just in time for the arrival of the tribe's wise and beloved matriarch Old Deuteronomy. The Jellicle Ball commences inside the abandoned Egyptian Theatre. Victoria dances a ballet solo in the moonlight but is distracted by Cassandra harassing Grizabella, a former member of the tribe who was banished for, among other things, her past allegiance with Macavity. Victoria relates to Grizabella's feelings of abandonment. As Grizabella slinks away into the streets, Old Deuteronomy witnesses their quiet camaraderie and assures Victoria that she can become a Jellicle herself in time.

Femme fatale Bombalurina interrupts the Ball, distracting the Jellicles present with a song and dance number praising Macavity and simultaneously incapacitating them with catnip. When Macavity arrives and demands to be made the Jellicle Choice, Old Deuteronomy deems him unworthy and is subsequently kidnapped and placed with Macavity's other victims. As the Jellicles recuperate, distraught over their leader's disappearance, Victoria suggests that Mr. Mistoffelees use his powers to conjure Old Deuteronomy back. He tries several times, eventually making Old Deuteronomy reappear. The cats rejoice and praise Mr. Mistoffelees; he and Victoria dance together. Meanwhile, a thwarted Macavity and Bombalurina apparate away from his victims, who begin to free themselves via Jennyanydots' costume change. Macavity leaves his lackey, Growltiger, to walk the plank defenseless against the emancipated cats.

Grizabella returns to the Egyptian. Victoria vouches for her and urges her to sing her true feelings. Grizabella proceeds to sing a passionate ballad about her mistakes, her former glory, and her beauty, sentiments that touch the hearts of the Jellicles. Old Deuteronomy names Grizabella the Jellicle Choice and sends her off to the Heaviside Layer in a chandelier (repaired by Mr. Mistoffelees' magic to float like a hot air balloon). Macavity, in one last attempt to reach the Heaviside Layer, leaps onto a rope from the chandelier but falls onto Nelson's Column. The Jellicles, reunited with their kidnapped brethren, and perched on a lion statue, watch Grizabella ascend as the morning sun appears above the horizon. After the congregation disperses, Old Deuteronomy welcomes Victoria to the tribe.

Cast[]

  • Francesca Hayward as Victoria the White Cat[6]
  • Judi Dench as Old Deuteronomy[7]
  • Idris Elba as Macavity the Mystery Cat[8]
  • Jennifer Hudson as Grizabella the Glamour Cat[9]
  • Laurie Davidson as Mr. Mistoffelees[10]
  • Robbie Fairchild as Munkustrap[11]
  • Rebel Wilson as Jennyanydots the Gumbie Cat[12]
  • James Corden as Bustopher Jones[13]
  • Jason Derulo as Rum Tum Tugger[14]
  • Ian McKellen as Gus "Asparagus" the Theatre Cat[15]
  • Taylor Swift as Bombalurina[16]
  • Steven McRae as Skimbleshanks[17]
  • Danny Collins as Mungojerrie
  • Naoimh Morgan as Rumpleteazer[18]
  • Ray Winstone as Growltiger
  • Mette Towley as Cassandra[19]
  • Daniela Norman as Demeter[20]
  • Les Twins as Plato and Socrates[21]
  • Jaih Betote as Coricopat[22]
  • Jonadette Carpio as Jemima[23]
  • Bluey Robinson as Alonzo[24]
  • Freya Rowley as Jellylorum
  • Ida Saki as Electra
  • Zizi Strallen as Tantomile[25]
  • Eric Underwood as Admetus[26]
  • Cory English as Maître D'

Production[]

Development[]

An animated film adaptation based on the musical was initially planned by Amblimation in the 1990s, but was abandoned with the studio's closure.[27] In December 2013, Andrew Lloyd Webber, creator and composer of the musical stage production Cats, teased that Universal Pictures, which had purchased the film rights to Cats many years earlier, was putting the project into active development.[28]

In February 2016, it was reported that Tom Hooper was in negotiations to direct the film, and was considering actresses, including Suki Waterhouse, to star.[29] In May 2016, Hooper was confirmed as director.[30]

In January 2018, Hooper and Working Title began officially casting for the film, while looking into the technical aspect of whether the film would be entirely live-action or computer generated, with Lloyd Webber announcing he would be writing a new song for the film adaptation.[31] On 24 October 2019, it was announced that the new song was titled "Beautiful Ghosts", written by Lloyd Webber and Taylor Swift.[32] The song was sung by Francesca Hayward, followed later in a reprise by Judi Dench, with a credits version sung by Swift.[33] The version sung by Swift was released on 15 November 2019.[34]

Casting[]

In June 2018, there were reports Anne Hathaway was considered for a role in the film, but she passed due to scheduling conflict.[35] Hugh Jackman was also offered a role by Hooper, but turned it down.[36] In July 2018, Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift, James Corden, and Ian McKellen joined the cast.[37] Swift had previously tested for the role of Éponine in Tom Hooper's Les Misérables but was given the part of Bombalurina without an audition.[38]

In September 2018, Laurie Davidson and Mette Towley were cast, with Steven Spielberg announced to be executive producing.[39][40] In October 2018, Idris Elba and Judi Dench joined the cast of the film.[41][42] Dench was cast in the original stage musical, but had been forced to pull out due to a torn Achilles tendon; Lloyd Webber and Hooper decided to make Old Deuteronomy a female cat and offered her the role.[43]

In November 2018, ballet dancers Francesca Hayward and Steven McRae as well as Rebel Wilson, Jason Derulo, and Robert Fairchild joined the cast of the film with rehearsals commencing at Leavesden Studios in Hertfordshire, England.[44][45][46][47] Andy Blankenbuehler choreographed the film, after Wayne McGregor was forced to back out due to scheduling conflicts.[48] Blankenbuehler also choreographed the stage musical's 2016 Broadway revival. In December 2018, Les Twins and Eric Underwood joined the cast.[49]

Filming[]

Principal photography began on 12 December 2018,[49] and wrapped on 2 April 2019.[50] Swift said that the cast attended "cat school", in which "We would literally do hours on end of barefoot crawling on the floor, hissing at each other. We learned about cat instincts and the way they carry themselves and the way that they process information, the way they see the world, the way they move."[51]

Music[]

Main article: Cats: Highlights from the Motion Picture Soundtrack

Music for the film was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber with contributions from producer Greg Wells, who was initially brought in after production in mid-2019.[52] The recordings were created partly at Abbey Road Studios with contributions from the London Symphony Orchestra.[52] Wells also played a number of instruments on the music himself, including the drums, pipe organ, bass guitar and Abbey Road's fabled Mrs Mills piano, used in Beatles songs such as "Penny Lane" and "With a Little Help from My Friends".[52]

A "highlights" edition of the soundtrack with a running time of 59 minutes was released on 20 December 2019, by Polydor Records and in the US by Republic Records.[53] The song "Beautiful Ghosts" by Taylor Swift, a single from the soundtrack album, was released on 15 November 2019.[54]

Less than two months before the film was scheduled to be released in theatres, production was still ongoing for the music in the film.[52]

Musical numbers[]

  • "Overture"/"Prologue: Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats" – Orchestra/Company
  • "The Naming of Cats"/"The Invitation to the Jellicle Ball" – Munkustrap, Mr. Mistoffelees & Company
  • "Jennyanydots: The Old Gumbie Cat" – Jennyanydots, Munkustrap & Company
  • "The Rum Tum Tugger" – Rum Tum Tugger, Jennyanydots & Company
  • "Grizabella: The Glamour Cat" – Grizabella, Cassandra, Demeter & Company
  • "Bustopher Jones: The Cat About Town" – Bustopher, Rum Tum Tugger, Maitre D' & Company
  • "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" – Mungojerrie, Rumpleteazer & Victoria
  • "Growltiger's Last Stand" – Growltiger
  • "Old Deuteronomy" – Munkustrap, Old Deuteronomy & Company
  • "The Jellicle Ball" – Company
  • "Memory (Prelude)"/"Beautiful Ghosts" – Grizabella & Victoria
  • "The Moments of Happiness" – Old Deuteronomy
  • "Gus: The Theatre Cat" – Gus
  • "Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat" – Skimbleshanks, Munkustrap & Company
  • "Macavity: The Mystery Cat" – Bombalurina, Macavity, Mungojerrie, Rumpleteazer, Griddlebone & Company
  • "Mr. Mistoffelees" – Mistoffelees, Munkustrap & Company
  • "Memory" – Grizabella & Victoria
  • "Beautiful Ghosts (Reprise)" – Victoria & Old Deuteronomy
  • "The Journey to the Heaviside Layer" – Company
  • "Finale: The Ad-Dressing of Cats" – Old Deuteronomy & Company

Visual effects[]

Cats uses extensive visual effects throughout to convert the live-action actors to computer-animated cats. During the production process, Hooper had experimented with using prosthetics to create the look of the cast due to the then-prohibitive costs of visual effects, but the director was dissatisfied, feeling that "[Y]ou ended up with full-faced prosthetics where you lost so much emotion. [...] So all the paths seemed to lead me back to visual effects."[55] Companies that worked on the film include Technicolor SA subsidiaries Mill Film and MPC.[56] To aid this, the actors performed in motion capture suits with tracking dots on their costumes and faces.[57] The bodies of the cat characters were rendered with digital fur which was blended with the actors' actual faces.[58]

Substantial work on the VFX for Cats was performed at MPC Vancouver, which had previously worked on re-doing the visual effects for Sonic the Hedgehog.[59] A report by The Daily Beast revealed a troubled production, where sources within one of the VFX studios reported the staff was working 80–90 hour weeks to try and finish the effects by the release date while Hooper would send them denigrating emails about their work and insult them during conferences.[60] This was additionally complicated by Hooper's lack of familiarity with the visual effects process and animation as a whole, where the director would demand entire complete renders be made at great cost or that real-life references of cats be used for every movement. The team spent six months producing the film's two-minute trailer, leaving just four months to finish the entire 110 minute film. The film's visuals were completed just hours before its premiere.[58][60][61]

At the 92nd Academy Awards, Corden and Wilson appeared in character as Bustopher Jones and Jennyanydots, mocking the film's CGI while presenting Best Visual Effects. This led to criticism from the production's VFX animators, many of whom were laid off when MPC Vancouver closed following the film's production, as well as condemnation by the Visual Effects Society, an organization representing the VFX industry.[60][62][63][64]

Marketing[]

On 6 April 2019, Jennifer Hudson performed "Memory" at the Las Vegas CinemaCon, along with a behind-the-scenes look with the film's cast and crew.[65] On 17 July 2019, Universal released a behind-the-scenes featurette detailing the various aspects of the film's production and featuring interviews with the cast and crew.[66]

The first trailer for the film was released on 18 July 2019,[67] and received overwhelmingly negative reactions from viewers.[68] Many viewers were unsettled by the mix of CGI and live-action used to portray the cats, and cited the effects as an example of the uncanny valley, with some comparing it unfavourably to the design of Sonic in the first trailer of the then-upcoming film Sonic the Hedgehog, which sparked similar criticism that ultimately resulted in the character being redesigned and the film being delayed.[69][70] The studio spent about $115 million on global promotions and advertisements for the film.[71]

Release[]

The film premiered at Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center in New York City on 16 December 2019[72][73] and was theatrically released in the United States and United Kingdom on 20 December 2019.[74]

CGI glitches and modified release[]

The film's original release contained numerous CGI errors and glitches, such as one scene in which Judi Dench's human hand, complete with her wedding ring, appears instead of Old Deuteronomy's cat paw.[75] After poor reviews, Universal notified cinemas on opening day that an updated Digital Cinema Package with "some improved visual effects" would be available for download on 22 December, urging them to replace the current print as soon as possible. Studio executives and cinema owners said that the decision to release a modified version of a film already in wide release was "unheard of".[76]

Home media[]

Cats was released digitally on 17 March 2020 and on Blu-ray Disc and DVD on 7 April in the United States. The film was released on 29 April 2020 in Australia and on 1 June 2020 in the United Kingdom.

Reception[]

Box office[]

Cats grossed $27.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $47.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $74.6 million against a production budget of about $95 million. Deadline Hollywood calculated the net loss of the film to be $113.6.[77]

In the United States and Canada, Cats was initially projected to gross $15–20 million in its opening weekend.[78] Universal hoped that the film would appeal to young women as counterprogramming against Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and emphasized Swift in marketing; however, she did not heavily promote the film to her fans, as she only appeared for one song. After making $2.6 million on its opening day (including $550,000 from Thursday night previews), estimates for Cats were lowered to $7 million.[79] Ultimately, the film only debuted to $6.5 million, finishing fourth at the box office. The poor performance was attributed to negative reception of the trailers, poor reviews, and competition from The Rise of Skywalker.[80]

In its second weekend, Cats made $4.8 million (for a total of $8.7 million over the five-day Christmas period), finishing in eighth place.[81] It then made $2.6 million in its third weekend, finishing tenth.[82]

Critical response[]

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 19% of critics gave the film a positive review based on 325 reviews, with an average rating of 3.90/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Despite its fur-midable cast, this Cats adaptation is a clawful mistake that will leave most viewers begging to be put out of their mew-sery." On review aggregator Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 32 out of 100 based on 51 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an average 0.5 out of 5 stars, with 30% saying they would definitely recommend it.[71]

Peter Debruge of Variety called the film "one of those once-in-a-blue-moon embarrassments that mars the résumés of great actors (poor Idris Elba, already scarred enough as the villainous Macavity) and trips up the careers of promising newcomers (like ballerina Francesca Hayward, whose wide-eyed, mouth-agape Victoria displays one expression for the entire movie)." He criticized the direction and effects, and predicted that the film would appeal to furries,[83] though many furries also found the effects disturbing.[84] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter felt that the film was "hobbled by a major misjudgment in its central visual concept" lamenting its execution (such as the poor proportions of the "cats" to their environments) and deeming the film "exhausting."[85] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone rated the film 0 out of 5 stars, stating it was "bizarre," had terrible special effects and made the audience "want to cry for mercy," while Hooper "traps the actors in an airless, lifeless bubble of a film that scarcely gives them room to breathe, much less develop a character."[86]

In the Los Angeles Times, Justin Chang wrote that "With its grotesque design choices and busy, metronomic editing, Cats is as uneasy on the eyes as a Hollywood spectacle can be, tumbling into an uncanny valley between mangy realism and dystopian artifice".[87] Debruge said that the film should have used "face paint and Lycra" like the musical. Simran Hans of The Observer agreed that "many of its uncanny images are sure to haunt viewers for generations." Her one-star review described the film as "a clear career low" for most of the actors, wondering whether they "are aware of what they've gotten themselves into."[88] Peter Bradshaw for The Guardian agreed with the one-star rating. In a review parodying "The Naming of Cats," he criticized the visual style and particularly the character design, while lambasting the film as a "dreadful hairball of woe."[89] Manohla Dargis of The New York Times felt that Hooper had made "a robust effort" to adapt the stage musical—which "was always going to be difficult, particularly once the decision was made to create a live-action version rather than an animated one"—and "enlisted some talented performers," but that the film version suffered from a lack of the human connection that theatre involves, where performers and audience share a space, without which "all that's left are canned images of fit-looking people meowing and raising their rumps high in the air."[90]

The Hollywood Reporter named Cats one of the ten worst films of 2019,[91] Travers said it "easily scores as the bottom of the 2019 barrel—and arguably of the decade," and Adam Graham of The Detroit News said "Cats is the biggest disaster of the decade, and possibly thus far in the millennium. It's Battlefield Earth with whiskers."[92] Alex Cranz of io9 warned "I have seen sights no human should see" but said others "must witness" Hooper's, the actors', and Hollywood's hubris, citing a human being appearing in a group of cats, a cat-coloured woman without fur, and other examples of how "the s---'s just not finished."[93] Ty Burr of The Boston Globe half-star review said "there are moments in 'Cats' I would gladly pay to unsee" and warned small children to not watch the film. He reported that the preview audience laughed like the reaction to Springtime for Hitler during Dench's "The Ad-dressing of Cats", because each pause in her lyrics seemed to be the end of the film ("at long last") before continuing.[94]

Pete Hammond of Deadline complimented Taylor Swift's performance as Bombalurina and her signature "Macavity" number, as well as "Beautiful Ghosts", which she wrote along with Lloyd Webber.[95] Critic Guy Lodge called Swift "the best thing in the film" and "the one performer who completely hits their marks and pulls off the lone successful number,"[96] while critic Rebecca Lewis described Swift's performance as "one of the few genuinely good parts of the film."[97] Patrick Ryan of USA Today stated that Swift "makes the most of her brief screen time, bringing her unabating charisma to the flirtatious feline ... if there's one thing that's disappointing about Swift's performance, it's that there isn't more of it."[98] Hans said that she was the only actor "who seems to be having fun, perhaps because she only appears in the film for approximately 10 minutes." Jennifer Hudson similarly received praise for her rendition of 'Memory,' with some critics describing it as "the best part" of the film[99] and "the sole musical number in the new movie that summons real feeling."[100]

Lloyd Webber himself was critical of the film, calling it "ridiculous" in an interview with the Sunday Times, saying, "The problem with the film was that Tom Hooper decided that he didn’t want anybody involved in it who was involved in the original show."[101]

Rich Juzwiak of Jezebel predicted in early January 2020 that Cats might become a cult classic like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, noting that costumed screenings in Brooklyn and sing-along screenings in Toronto and Los Angeles were selling out.[102][103] , Milwaukee's Oriental Theatre, Coolidge Corner Theatre near Boston, and FilmScene in Iowa City are among notable small theaters showing Cats. Coolidge Corner gives Rocky Horror-like viewing instructions to audiences at its monthly showings.[104]

Accolades[]

On 26 December 2019, it was reported that Universal had removed Cats from its For Your Consideration web page. The film was not available on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' private streaming media platform for award contenders.[105][106]

Awards and nominations for Cats
List of awards and nominations
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Result
Golden Globe Awards January 5, 2020[107] Best Original Song "Beautiful Ghosts" – Taylor Swift and Andrew Lloyd Webber Nominated
Golden Schmoes Awards 2019 Worst Movie of the Year

Cats

Won
Golden Raspberry Awards March 16, 2020[108] Worst Picture Debra Hayward, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Tom Hooper Won
Worst Director Tom Hooper Won
Worst Actress Francesca Hayward Nominated
Worst Supporting Actor James Corden Won
Worst Supporting Actress Judi Dench Nominated
Rebel Wilson Won
Worst Screen Combo Any two half-feline/half-human hairballs Won
Jason Derulo and his CGI-neutered "bulge" Nominated
Worst Screenplay Lee Hall and Tom Hooper; Based on the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, which was based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot Won
Golden Reel Awards 2020 Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Musical for Feature Film John Warhurst, Nina Hartstone, Victor Chaga, Cecile Tournesac and James Shirley Nominated
Grammy Awards March 14, 2021 Best Song Written for Visual Media "Beautiful Ghosts" – Taylor Swift and Andrew Lloyd Webber Nominated
Huading Awards 2020[109] Best Global Film Theme Song "Beautiful Ghosts" – Taylor Swift and Andrew Lloyd Webber Nominated
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards May 2, 2020 Favorite Movie Actress Taylor Swift Nominated

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  46. D'Alessandro, Anthony (19 November 2018). "Rebel Wilson To Play Jennyanydots In Universal-Working Title's 'Cats'". Deadline Hollywood.
  47. Kit, Borys (20 November 2018). "Jason Derulo Joins Jennifer Hudson, James Corden in All-Star 'Cats' Movie (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
  48. Tartaglione, Nancy (24 November 2018). "'Cats': 'Hamilton' Tony Winner Andy Blankenbuehler To Choreograph Universal-Working Title Film". (en) Deadline.
  49. 49.0 49.1 D'Alessandro, Anthony (12 December 2018). "Universal-Working Title's Feature Adaptation Of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Cats' Rolls Cameras", Deadline Hollywood. 
  50. Hemmert, Kyle (2 April 2019). "Tom Hooper's Cats Movie Has Wrapped Production", Deadline Hollywood. 
  51. Setoodeh, Ramin (20 December 2019). "Taylor Swift Explains Her ‘Cats’ Transformation: Hissing, Barefoot Crawling and Jellicle School". Variety.
  52. 52.0 52.1 52.2 52.3 Friend, David (19 November 2019). "Don’t judge ‘Cats’ film by its trailer, says Canadian music producer Greg Wells", The Canadian Pres/Toronto Star. 
  53. "Cats: Highlights From The Motion Picture Soundtrack".. Amazon.
  54. Willman, Chris (15 November 2019). "Taylor Swift Releases 'Beautiful Ghosts,' Her Andrew Lloyd Webber Collaboration for 'Cats'". Variety.
  55. Ifeanyi, K. C. (2019-12-18). "‘Cats’ director Tom Hooper defends the deeply polarizing use of CGI in his new musical". (en-US) Fast Company.
  56. Amidi, Amid (22 December 2019). "VFX Artists Are Still Working On 'Cats' Even Though The Film Is Already Out In Theaters". (en-US) Cartoon Brew.
  57. Sharf, Zack (3 April 2019). "'Cats' Surprises CinemaCon With Set Footage, Motion Capture Being Used to Add Fur to Actors". (en) IndieWire.
  58. 58.0 58.1 Wagmeister, Elizabeth (17 December 2019). "‘Cats’ Director Tom Hooper Didn’t Finish Movie Until Hours Before World Premiere"..
  59. "Report: MPC Suddenly Closes VFX Studio Branch Behind Sonic the Hedgehog Redesign". (en) TheMix.net (13 December 2019).
  60. 60.0 60.1 60.2 Bradley, Laura (2020-04-07). "Editing the B-------- Out of ‘Cats’ Was a Total Nightmare" (in en), The Daily Beast. 
  61. Rubin, Rebecca (23 December 2019). "Box Office Bomb: How Creepy CGI and Bad Buzz Killed 'Cats'" (in en), Variety. 
  62. "1917" wins Best Visual Effects-Oscars on YouTube
  63. "The Oscars' Cats Jokes Has The Academy In Hot Water With The Visual Effects Society – CINEMABLEND"..
  64. Lattanzio, Ryan (2020-02-11). "Visual Effects Society Speaks Out Against Oscars Roast of ‘Cats’". (en) IndieWire.
  65. "Jennifer Hudson Performs "Memory" During 'Cats' CinemaCon Presentation". The Hollywood Reporter.
  66. Negative responses to the trailer:
  67. "'Cats' trailer plunges into the uncanny valley of digital fur". (en) Engadget.
  68. Lodge, Guy (19 July 2019). "Litter-ally terrifying: is Cats the creepiest film of the year?" (in en-GB), The Guardian. 
  69. 71.0 71.1 D'Alessandro, Anthony (29 December 2019). "'Cats' Bound To Lose At Least $71M After All Ancillaries: Here's How"..
  70. "'Cats': Taylor Swift, Idris Elba prowl the red carpet for New York premiere", USA Today (16 December 2019). 
  71. Setoodeh, Ramin (16 December 2019). "Taylor Swift Reveals How Her Dad Inspired a Psychedelic Scene in 'Cats' (EXCLUSIVE)", Variety. 
  72. "'Cats' Movie Adaptation Sets December 2019 Release Date". (en) The Hollywood Reporter.
  73. "Huge Cats mistake revealed in another embarrassing blunder for film". (en) The Independent (22 December 2019).
  74. McClintock, Pamela (21 December 2019). "Universal Notifies Theaters 'Cats' Is Being Updated With "Improved Visual Effects"" (in en), The Hollywood Reporter. 
  75. D'Alessandro, Anthony (27 April 2020). "The Biggest Box Office Bombs Of 2019: Deadline’s Most Valuable Blockbuster Tournament"..
  76. D'Alessandro, Anthony (5 December 2019). "How 'Spies In Disguise', 'Little Women' & 'Uncut Gems' Are Shaping Up At Christmas B.O.; 'Rise Of Skywalker' Opening Still Around $200M"..
  77. McClintock, Pamela (21 December 2019). "Box Office: 'Star Wars' Soars to $90M Friday, 'Cats' Declawed"..
  78. D'Alessandro, Anthony (22 December 2019). "'Star Wars: Rise Of Skywalker' Lowers Lightsaber To $179M+, But Still 3rd Best December Opening; 'Cats' Oh Drat $6.5M, 'Bombshell' $5.1M – Sunday AM Early Update"..
  79. D'Alessandro, Anthony (29 December 2019). "'Star Wars: Rise Of Skywalker' Chasing 'Last Jedi' With $76M 2nd Weekend; 'Little Women' Not So Tiny With $29M 5-Day"..
  80. D'Alessandro, Anthony (5 January 2020). "'Star Wars: Rise Of Skywalker' Dips To $34M+ Third Weekend; 'Grudge' Doesn't Scream With $11M+ & 'F' CinemaScore"..
  81. Debruge, Peter (19 December 2019). "'Cats': Film Review" (in en), Variety. 
  82. Aggeler, Madeleine. "How Do Furries Feel About the New Cats Movie?". The Cut.
  83. Rooney, David (18 December 2019). "'Cats': Film Review", Hollywood Reporter. 
  84. Travers, Peter (19 December 2019). "'Cats': A Broadway Musical Adaptation Straight Outta the Litter Box", Rolling Stone. 
  85. Chang, Justin (18 December 2019). "Review: 'Cats' is a horror — and an occasional hoot", LA Times. 
  86. Hans, Simran (21 December 2019). "Cats review – will haunt viewers for generations" (in en-GB), The Observer. 
  87. Bradshaw, Peter (19 December 2019). "Cats review – a purr-fectly dreadful hairball of woe", The Guardian. 
  88. Dargis, Manohla (18 December 2019). "'Cats' Review: They Dance, They Sing, They Lick Their Digital Fur", The New York Times. 
  89. "Hollywood Reporter Critics Pick the 10 Worst Films of 2019", Hollywood Reporter (19 December 2019). 
  90. Graham, Adam (19 December 2019). "Review: Me-ouch! Film version of 'Cats' a Deuteronomy disaster", The Detroit News. 
  91. Cranz, Alex (18 December 2019). "Cats Review: I Have Seen Sights No Human Should See". (en-us) Gizmodo.
  92. Burr, Ty (18 December 2019). "'Oh God, my eyes': Read Ty Burr's scathing review of 'Cats' – The Boston Globe" (in en-US), Boston Globe. 
  93. Hammond, Pete (19 December 2019). "'Cats' Review: Full Of Memorable Performances From Jennifer Hudson To Taylor Swift, This Adaptation Hits The Right Notes". (en) Deadline.
  94. Lodge, Guy (18 December 2019). "I've joked a lot about CATS over the years, but here is an entirely serious, sincere opinion: the best thing in the film, the one performer who completely hits their marks and pulls off the lone successful number, is... Taylor Swift.". (en) @GuyLodge.
  95. Lewis, Rebecca (18 December 2019). "And because it's what everyone wants to know, Taylor Swift is one of the few genuinely good parts of the film although she doesn't appear until the very end. Unsure why they cut Bombularina from early parts of the film unless they wanted (needed?) that anticipation. #CatsMoviepic.". (en) @bexlewis361.
  96. Ryan, Patrick (18 December 2019). "'Cats': Everything Taylor Swift says, does and sings in her unhinged new movie musical". 
  97. "5 reasons why Jennifer Hudson's version of 'Memory' is the best thing about the new Cats movie". Classic FM.
  98. "In 'Cats,' 'Memory' is a 'popera' furball, but don't blame Jennifer Hudson". Los Angeles Times (21 December 2019).
  99. Ramos, Dino-Ray (2 August 2020). "Andrew Lloyd Webber Says Movie Adaptation Of ‘Cats’ Was "Ridiculous""..
  100. Juzwiak, Rich (9 January 2020). "Cats May Have a 10th Life as a Cult Classic", Jezebel. 
  101. Wilner, Norman (11 January 2020). "Cats is already getting the cult classic treatment in Toronto", Toronto Now. 
  102. Hamlet, Isaac (18 February 2020). "Why one of the Midwest's most cutting-edge theaters is screening 2019's biggest box-office bomb" (in en), Iowa City Press-Citizen. 
  103. Malkin, Marc (26 December 2019). "Universal Cuts 'Cats' From Its 'For Your Consideration' Page". (en) Variety.
  104. "92nd Oscars shortlists". oscars.org (10 December 2019).
  105. "Golden Globes 2020: full list of nominations" (9 December 2019). 
  106. "Razzie Awards 2020 Winners: Cats Dominates 40th Golden Raspberry Awards". (en) Rotten Tomatoes.
  107. "Nominations Announced for the 28th Huading Awards – "The Global Film Satisfaction Survey Release Ceremony"". Tyler Morning Telegraph (October 23, 2020).


External links[]


v - e - d
Cats logo
Media
Cats (soundtrack/video)
Characters
Old DeuteronomyMr. MistoffeleesRum Tum TuggerMunkustrapGrizabellaMacavityBustopher JonesJennyanydotsSkimbleshanksGusVictoriaMungojerrie and RumpleteazerBombalurinaDemeterJemimaMongojerrieRumpleteazer
Locations
LondonTrafalgar SquareThe Egyptian TheatreThe Milk BarThe Jellicle BallThe Heaviside Layer
Songs
OvertureJellicle Songs for Jellicle CatsThe Naming of CatsThe Invitation to the Jellicle BallThe Old Gumbie CatThe Rum Tum TuggerGrizabella: The Glamour CatBustopher Jones: The Cat About TownMungojerrie and RumpleteazerOld DeuteronomyThe Jellicle BallMemoryThe Moments of HappinessGus: The Theatre CatGrowltiger's Last StandSkimbleshanks: The Railway CatMacavity: The Mystery CatMr. MistoffeleesThe Journey to the Heaviside LayerThe Ad-Dressing of CatsBeautiful Ghosts
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