The 1981 West End musical Cats has become an iconic, life-changing performance in the theatre industry. Adapted from T.S. Eliot’s 1939 book of poems, Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, Andrew Lloyd Webber composed the plot into a live musical.
With ten Tony Awards and a Grammy Award for “Best Cast Show Album,” Cats is officially set to become a musical film directed by Tom Hooper. Hooper is widely known by his past works for films such as “Les Misérables” and “The King’s Speech.”
Tom Hooper’s film is brought to life once again with a star-studded cast including Jennifer Hudson (Grizabella), Idris Elba (Macavity), Ian McKellen (Gus the Theatre Cat), James Corden (Bustopher Jones), Judi Dench (Old Deuteronomy), Jason Derulo (Rum Tum Tugger), Rebel Wilson (Jennyanydots), Taylor Swift (Bombalurina) and newcomer Francesca Hayward as Victoria. The entertainers individually promoted the trailer on their accounts just as the official Cats Twitter page did on July 18.
This Christmas, you will believe. #CatsMovie pic.twitter.com/doKFWGAdpB
— CATS (@catsmovie) July 18, 2019
So, what exactly is Cats about? Many viewers who don’t know about the adaptation were left confused with the discreet dialogue yet empowered by Jennifer Hudson’s vocals. Well, it’s quite simple; various cats introduce themselves in a musical number one night to compete with each other to enter Heaviside Layer. Heaviside Layer is the cat version of heaven in which a cat chosen by Old Deuteronomy will enter to reborn themselves into a youthful cat.
The Cats trailer transforms live theatre into film in a whole other level. The choreography of Cats sways the audience through different scenes of the film for the short duration of the trailer. Fresh face Francesca Hayward puts the viewers in awe with her ballerina grace. The lack of dialogue allows the performance of the cast to shine in the trailer as Jennifer Hudson shows integrity, Taylor Swift is devious and Rebel Wilson and James Corden are the laugh of the hour.
Image via Twitter
Not only did the trailer confuse the audience, but did share some laughs with its advanced digital fur technology. The stars embroidered themselves into furry cats with the help of the graphic design department. Although CGI may provide a point of comedy to the audience, the technology shows how powerful it can become to tell a story.
therapist: judi dench as a cat isn’t real she can’t hurt you
judi dench as a cat: pic.twitter.com/1cLqmS22xO— raya (@intoanewlife) July 18, 2019
The set designs quietly impacted the trailer. The set designs portray “human” furniture and objects that seem quite gigantic to the cats. Yet the human objects are dramatically out of proportion and the cats are frankly too small. Nevertheless, the designs are impressive with old-fashioned colors filling in the household while neon lights brighten up the streets of Cats.
Image via “Cats” trailer
Just before the trailer dropped, the cast took the fans behind the scenes of the film. Each cast member gets intimate with the audience on their personal view and experience with Cats, starting with the cast members reminiscing their first moments singing and dancing. The cast members then develop their personal view on Cats and how much it has affected their life. Furthermore, the audience are taken to the dance rehearsal and see a glimpse of creating the set.
Go behind the scenes for a first look at #CatsMovie. Trailer this Friday. pic.twitter.com/NMnJjKubxw
— CATS (@catsmovie) July 17, 2019
Cats the film will open nationwide on December 20th.
Featured Image by Twitter
