The new Cats movie trailer dropped today and it might as well be a mind-numbingly bizarre acid trip, depending on how one looks at it.
The trailer features one of the most iconic songs from the play, Memory, belt out by Jennifer Hudson’s enthralling voice as we delve into the world created, with giant size sets physically made to orchestrate the idea of the characters being small creatures. The colorful and magical set concepts seen in the trailer only make it incredibly interesting to watch with each of the cat personas coming alive, like an underworld criminal gang, but with cats!
CGI Brings The Cats To Life!
But wait…what do the cats look like? Like cats, of course. The screen has the privileges of editing and CGI that the stage doesn’t, and the use of “digital fur technology” in this movie has allowed for the cast to look like themselves and furry animals at the same time, it’s haunting at the first glimpse. “It was one of the coolest things I’ve seen,” Taylor Swift, who plays Bombalurina.
On one hand we the incredible cast music artists like Taylor Swift, Jason Derulo and Jennifer Hudson and then actors like Ian Mckellen, Judi Dench and Idris Elba that set the bar for this movie ultimately very high. There are also actors like Rebel Wilson and James Corden with their similar humorous personas although is this really the right crowd for them? Looks farfetched to me.
Fun fact; Judi Dench was part of the original production in 1981 but unfortunately had to leave the show after her Achilles snapped! It’s kind of amazing how she gets to be a part of it again. Another surprise is Francesca Hayward, a principal dancer in the Royal ballet and a newcomer to the wide screen, right up there in the spotlight. “I’ve always just done ballet, and I feel like I’m sort of living the dream.” She says.
Feline Steaminess In Cats Movie?
There’s some intense feline steaminess that can be picked up on first looks, something about humans having a complete layer of fur skin makes them look absolutely naked, all encompassed with the unholy dance movements that add the serene dream-like allure to the characters and their little world. For some it might be scarring and will need some easing into, the trailer certainly did.
The Journey From Broadway To Screen
The original 18 year long Broadway production first brought to life inspired by T. S. Elliot poems , was a story about a tribe of cats called Jellicles gathered in a trash pile which the stage would open to with a very dystopian-like feel, where they make their case in song for the “Jellicle choice” as to who deserves to enter Heaviside layer (basically cat heaven) and be reborn.
The director, Tom Hooper, who was also the man behind the 2012 on screen version of Les Misérables, is heading this film. Question arises, how will they replace the interactive live appeal of the production through the limiting physicality of the screen? Whilst witnessing such intense movement and voice onstage is certainly a lifetime experience that is schematically questionable on film. And will the film compel the millennial and Gen Z folk alike to watch it? The casting definitely looks like it’s mainly done to overcome that. Taylor swift herself brings half the viewer’s just by being there. Can’t wait to see on how it plays out. Cats hits movie theaters on December 20th this year.
