The trailer for Cats, starring Jennifer Hudson, Idris Elba, Ian McKellen, and Taylor Swift (also my dream dinner party), is here. And it’s… something!
When I first watched the trailer, I was at a loss for words. Then I watched it three more times and, yeah, still nothing. Director Tom Hooper clearly put a lot of effort into making the human-sized cats as, uh, human-sized cat-looking as possible, but there’s something genuinely, if unintentionally upsetting about seeing Swift’s face on a feline’s body. Even when she’s not sprinkling catnip.
Digital fur technology!
All that being said, Cats is going to make a ton of money, because it’s one of the most popular musicals ever (you might even say people have a fond memory of it) and musicals tend to do well at the box office. Also, it stars a mega-famous pop star (not Jason Derulo); was produced by Steven Spielberg; and cats! Everyone loves cats. Unless you love dogs. Maybe Andrew Lloyd Webber can compose the music to Dogs next. Here’s the official plot summary:
Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech, Les Misérables) transforms Andrew Lloyd Webber’s record-shattering stage musical into a breakthrough cinematic event. Featuring Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic music and a world-class cast of dancers under the guidance of Tony-winning choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton, In the Heights), the film reimagines the musical for a new generation with spectacular production design, state-of-the-art technology, and dance styles ranging from ballet to contemporary, hip-hop to jazz, street to tap.
Notice how it says nothing about the actual plot? That’s because no one has ever figured out the plot of Cats. Anyway, Cats, which also stars James Corden, Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Rebel Wilson, and Francesca Hayward, opens on December 20, the same day as Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
