Less than two weeks after Cats arrived in theaters, it’s clear that the movie didn’t work out so well for Universal Pictures. People were apparently so freaked out by the “digital fur technology” that they didn’t even flock to the movie as a novelty. With a lack of critical acclaim and an extremely weak box office showing, the film’s stars (including Taylor Swift) have been distancing themselves from the project, and even a star of HBO’s almost almost equally confusing (but still much better in comparison to Cats) killer robot show was rendered “speechless” after a screening. It appears that the feline-scratch writing is on the wall, for Universal Pictures has now pulled the movie’s “For Your Consideration” campaign from view.
The change seems to have been very recent, since Google results still show that Cats appears by name in search results for the Universal website page in question. However, a visit to the actual page shows no link to Cats at all, only Us, 1917, Queen and Slim, Abominable, and The Secret Life Of Pets 2. In a followup to this revelation, Variety says that the movie’s quietly being erased from Academy Member view elsewhere:
A source also tells Variety that film also isn’t featured on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ streaming platform, where members can watch Oscar contenders
At least Academy member Evan Rachel Wood will be relieved not to see mention of the movie while logging in to view the remaining Oscar screeners. Wood wrote that she felt as if she was “going to die” while watching the movie adaptation of the hit Broadway show. It looks like the film will be an enormous write-off, both financially and critically, and a lesson learned for all involved.
(Via Variety)
