Like many other Andrew Lloyd Webber hits before it, the music ‘Cats’ is set to become a movie. The preparations for this movie are already underway and the cast has already been selected. Starring in the movie are Taylor Swift, Ian McKellen, Jennifer Hudson, and James Cordon.
Lee Hall, the writer of Billy Elliot, is set to write the script and Tom Hooper, the Oscar-winning filmmaker, will direct the movie. The latter may be a controversial decision about which many people will have opinions because his award-winning direction of Les Misérables divided opinions.
Talented performer Jennifer Hudson will play the lead role of Grizabella, who is considered the ‘glamor cat’. This means that she will be in the limelight singing one of the musical’s most famous songs ‘Memory’.
It is not yet known which roles have been given to Corden, McKellen, and Swift. However, there are some people who are guessing that Swift will play Bombalurina, while McKellen will play Old Deuteronomy and Corden will play Gus. If these predictions are correct, then Swift will sing ‘Macavity the Mystery Cat’.
There are many other roles yet to be filled and people have already suggesting who should fill these roles. One suggestion has been that Anne Hathaway should be in the cast, purely because she is riding high on the success of her recent films and would make a great addition to the cast. Hathaway also won an Oscar for her role in ‘Les Misérables’, so she has a strong background in musical film.
Another suggestion is that Harry Style of One Direction fame would make a fantastic Rum Tum Tugger as this cat has a bit of a rock and roll vibe going on. Not only has he got a great voice, he has also got the right look for the part.
The story of the musical ‘Cats’ revolves around a tribe of cats called the Jellicles and each member of the tribe has their own clear identity. The nonsensical story tells of how the cats are meeting for the Jellicle Ball where the Jellicle leader will give one of the cats an extra life. Many people consider the storyline of this musical one of the weirdest of them all while others think it is the most amazing thing to hit Broadway and the West End.
The stage version of ‘Cats’ first hit the stage in 1981. Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the lyrics and music for the musical and based it on the book by T.S. Eliot ‘Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats’. The musical was produced by Cameron Macintosh.
The new movie will not be the first time that the musical has made it onto the screen as a filmed version of the West End production was released in 1998. This was a big hit amongst fans of musicals.
‘Cats’ then underwent a West End revival in 2016. This production starred singer and television personality Nicole Scherzinger in the role of Grizabella. The star backed out of the Broadway revival of the musical and this led to a feud between her and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
The musical is famous for its rather grotesque makeup and for its unusual and elaborate costumes. Therefore, it will be interesting to see Swift, Hudson, McKellen, and Corden prancing around the movie in their strange costumes and makeup. It will also be interesting to see what other effects are used in the movie and if real cats are included alongside the stars dressed as cats.
Taylor Swift has two cats of her own; Meredith and Oliva. The singer has already made her cats stars on Instagram. Perhaps she might like to extend their fame by suggesting they have roles in her new movie?
The movie version of ‘Cats’ probably won’t be to everybody’s taste as there are lots of people who are not fans of musical movies. Nonetheless, the movie is featuring some high-profile and talented stars, so it should be interesting to see how successful this movie is when it hits the box office. However, moviegoers will have a fairly long wait before they can expect to have the chance to see this movie as no release date has yet been given. Filming is expected to start in Britain in November 2018.
