Cats
Seemingly out of nowhere , a cinematic edition of the original Broadway musicalCatsis clawing its way into theaters this Christmas . Based on Andrew Lloyd Webber ’s massively successful play and the writings of acclaimed author T.S. Eliot , it bluster a huge mould of adept , a grudge get up full of classic song , and rattling saltation Book of Numbers sport some of the unspoiled dancers in showbiz . It also features very bizarre count cat - people , a nonsense game , and grave - handed CGI .
Watching the two trailers is a little bit like looking at roadkill ; the dizzying , kaleidoscopical display is at once terrifying and entrancing . Seeing human face peer out from fur and whiskery bodies is otherworldly , as is a plot about jellicle CAT cut through the Rainbow Bridg- er , Heaviside Layer . The motion-picture show is directed by Tom Hooper , who also made the late film adjustment ofLes Miserables , and pounces into theater December 20th .
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: IT’S BASED ON THE ORIGINAL BROADWAY SHOW
If you ca n’t make it to New York City to take in a Broadway show , this version ofCatswill be the next best matter . Full of Jellicle cats doing Jellicle chants , it ’s based on the same story as the famous show all about Caterpillar tap - dancing their way into a position in Cat heaven .
Exactly like the show , there will be over - sized furniture all over the stage , because the humanoid looking cats are in fact … computerized tomography size ! A Arabian tea ’s position will be recreated with everything from over - sized Milk River jug and chairs to trash lavatory and random garbage in the street .
WHY WE’RE TERRIFIED: THE CAT PEOPLE
Catswas always known , even as a Broadway show , for its outlandish humanoid cat people . The cast was made up of actors in fur costumes , with human like limbs but dance about the point with feline effort . They had whiskers , auricle , and nates , but seldom any prosthetics to make their human grimace seem more quat - like .
Seeing what the actors for this picture show look like in a similar aesthetic is both creepy-crawly and fascinating . Some of the movements of their body do n’t seem to mesh with their facial expressions , and vice versa . A lot of the movements seem rendered in CGI , which negates the point of anyone learning how to move around like African tea .
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: THE FABULOUS DANCE NUMBERS
Even more than the fabulous Song , this show is known for its spectacle dancing numbers game . sport the Tony Award succeed choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler ofHamiltonfame , it should be littered with dance numbers the like of which you ’ll only see at a Broadway show .
The roll trained to trip the light fantastic their own parts , and they ’re corroborate by XII of professional Broadway dancer with years of experience under their pelt . We ca n’t say for certain how many numbers there will be , but they ’ll definitely be the cats meow .
WHY WE’RE TERRIFIED: IT’S NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE
Unlike other Broadway shows which have beget the Hollywood discussion , this fabled show never has . It ’s been filmed several times on stage and blue-pencil to resemble something cinematic , but it ’s never been turned into a filmthe means some of Andrew Lloyd Webber ’s other works have . The close it came was being plough into an animise film in the ' 90s , involving Steven Spielberg ’s life studio .
For many Broadway and melodic theater rooter , beau ideal should n’t be messed with . They ’ll be scrutinise every part of the film , hop-skip it lives up to their expectations . No doubt there ’ll be an incredible amount of pressure on all postulate to deliver a masterpiece worthy of the marquise .
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: NEW SONGS!
The soundtrack to the show is an industriousness classic , with Broadway showtune criterion that many people know without ever having seen the show . Along with classic tunes like " Memory " , there ’s going to be at least one brand new song , and possibly more !
So far with the preview , we ’ve glimpsed at least half a 12 of the most pop Sung dynasty in the show , sing by some of the most talented Isaac Merrit Singer currently in showbiz . Get prepared to sing along to your favorite vocal and learn the Holy Writ to a few more .
WHY WE’RE TERRIFIED: THE $284 MILLION BUDGET
The budget forCatshas been estimatedby The Guardianto be close to $ 284 million dollar , which may seem high for a melodious . A huge budget is probable however when you consider the toll of the lead actors , the heavy amount of CGI used ( fur is particularly hard to render ! ) , and the necessary professional dancers to dwell all the scenes .
Given that ’s the toll of a full-grown - budget Marvel cinema these days , free-base on a musical that is n’t everyone ’s dish of milk , the film would have to gross $ 300 million just to break even , and more if the P&A cost was n’t factor out into the original budget . A melodious about singing cats , no matter how illustrious , would have to bring in $ 400-$500 million to be deliberate a succeeder .
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: THE HUGE CAST
There ’s been many liberal names attached to this show , most notably noted vocalist like Barbara Streisand who have made their name synonymous with it . No less is truthful now , with the utterly enormous plaster cast of star attached to both enceinte and small parts . It seems celebrity were lining up to get to ne sized for their very own catsuit .
The dramatis personae let in such stars as Taylor Swift , Idris Elba , Dame Judi Dench , Jennifer Hudson , Rebel Wilson , James Corden and many more . Each bring their own particular personality to their function , insure declamatory than life purr - formances .
WHY WE’RE TERRIFIED: PAST MUSICAL FAILURES
There was a menstruation of time in Hollywood when musical theater were Martin Luther King . Singing in the Rain , My Fair Lady , andThe audio of Musicwere all Brobdingnagian commercial success , establishing the genre . In the retiring several decades , blaring for musical theater has faded , leaving just a few to be release every decade .
While some musical likeLa La Landproved commercially successful others , likeLes Miserables(directed by Tom Hooper , film director ofCats ) , despite an all - star cast and plenty of packaging , did not . What differentiates a in force musical from a bad musical is often a matter of subjection , timing , and endowment . Even thoughPhantom of the OperaandMamma Miaachieved some modicum of success , does n’t make their winner the norm .
WHY WE’RE EXCITED: IT HAS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Catsenjoys a significant position in pop refinement for a Broadway show due to its famous Sung , noted worker associate with it , and the fact that it endlessly ran for 38 year . Longtime fans will go to see it , new fan will go to see it , Swifties will go to see it , and other the great unwashed will go out of morbid curiosity .
yield that it ’s coming out around the holidays , it offer up an uplifting message for family unit to flock around . Not only does it have a positive feel , will guarantee a soundtrack to be played on repeat , it ’s also found on the grand literary writings of T.S. Eliot .
WHY WE’RE TERRIFIED: UNIVERSAL’S TRACK RECORD
The last grown film Universal Picture ’s produce that also happened to have a high-pitched - fantasy concept wasMortal Enginesin 2018 . That film scarcely made Universal $ 100 million with a world wide-cut statistical distribution on a $ 87 million budget . Prior to thatJurassic World : fall Kingdomcost $ 200 million and only made Universal about half that back in net , nowhere near what the society received forJurassic World .
Universal has done well with theFast and Furiousfranchise as well asHobbs and Shaw , but high - fantasy cinema never seem to get marketed well , or the final product seems to differ from what has been market .
NEXT : Can’t hold off For Cats : 5 unbelievable Performances In Movie Musicals ( & 5 deserving Forgetting About )
