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Fans savage 'disturbing' first Cats movie trailer
The first trailer for the much-hyped film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic musical Cats has been released and Twitter is sinking its claws into it.
The Tom Hooper-directed movie may boast an all-star cast - think James Corden, Taylor Swift, and Jennifer Hudson - but people just aren’t convinced.
The tagline for the film - which also stars Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Ian McKellen, and Aussie Rebel Wilson - is, “This Christmas, you will believe”.
But many on social media seem to believe in one thing only: that the animated musical looks really, really ‘creepy’.
Here is just a selection of the catty reactions online.
Actual still of me after watching the #CatsMovie trailer pic.twitter.com/OmLJ0EJHwq
— Will Cheek (@silverwolf365) July 19, 2019
I'm convinced that the #CatsMovie trailer team was told to dedicate extra time to making Taylor Swift look non-horrifying and ran out of time for the rest of the actors. pic.twitter.com/GbjqWWBTMV
— Allison Mary (@TheRealADri) July 19, 2019
I DONT KNOW HOW TO FEEL ABOUT ANY OF THIS #CatsMovie pic.twitter.com/MxLdObyeEd
— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) July 18, 2019
Nope. Not at all! #CatsMovie #MoreADogPersonActually pic.twitter.com/QSRSkC6sTE
— James Dyer (@jamescdyer) July 18, 2019
CATS the movie: the trailer's expected audience reaction, VS
actual audience reaction pic.twitter.com/Xh3RjcbbL9— Nate (@N8_K_W) July 19, 2019
My facial journey watching the #CatsMovie trailer. pic.twitter.com/z3gh5h4P7x
— Jaime Margary 🇵🇷 (@JaimeMargary) July 18, 2019
We reckon this Twitter user summed it up rather nicely.
I feel confused and uncomfortable, but I will 10000% watch it.
— Kristina Quintos (@krisquintos) July 18, 2019
What is Cats all about?
Cats the musical was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and based on T. S. Eliot’s whimsical book of poetry, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.
The plot centres on a tribe of cats called the Jellicles, as they come together at the annual Jellicle Ball to decide which one of them will ascend to the ‘Heaviside Layer’ (their version of heaven) and be reborn into a new life.
The musical made its debut at London’s West End theatre in 1981 and, despite initial lukewarm reviews, became a huge hit, grossing over $2 billion worldwide by 1994.
It has gone on to win many awards - including Best Musical at both the Laurence Olivier Awards and the Tony Awards - and remains the fourth-longest-running Broadway show and the sixth-longest-running West End show of all time.
An animated film adaptation has been in the works for years but the wheels really began turning in May 2016, when Les Misérables’ Tom Hooper was confirmed as the director.
Two years later, Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift and newcomer Francesca Hayward were cast as leads Grizabella, Bombalurina and Victoria respectively.
Idris Elba will play Macavity and James Corden is taking on the role of Bustopher Jones.
Cats the film is scheduled for release on December 20, 2019.
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