Cats (2019, D: Tom Hooper) S: Swift, McKellen, Corden, Hudson, Dench, Elba
#51
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Thread Starter
re: Cats (2019, D: Tom Hooper) S: Swift, McKellen, Corden, Hudson, Dench, Elba
Universal and Working Title’s feature adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical Cats has started filming with the studios announcing the official parts to many of the castmembers who have already been announced, i.e. Taylor Swift who will play Bombalurina, James Corden as Bustopher Jones, and as many have surmised, Jennifer Hudson is Grizabella.
Also starring is Dame Judi Dench as Old Deuteronomy, Jason Derulo as Rum Tum Tugger, Idris Elba as Macavity, Sir Ian McKellen as Gus, Rebel Wilson as Jennyanydots and Francesca Hayward as Victoria. Deadline exclusively broke many of the Cats castings.
Many have wondered how Cats will appear on screen, and the Tom Hooper-directed production is using a new technology to transform cast members into a vivid new vision of their characters.
Hooper adapted with Lee Hall (Billy Elliot), and is producing with Working Title’s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, as well as Debra Hayward, who brought the idea to Working Title. Monumental Pictures and The Really Useful Group are also producing with Steven Spielberg, Lloyd Webber and Angela Morrison (Les Misérables) and Jo Burn (Annihilation) serving as EPs.
Prior to the first day of shooting, the cast have been rehearsing at Leavesden Studios in Hertfordshire, UK. Overseeing the dancing in Cats is three-time Tony-winning choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton: An American Musical, In the Heights, Bandstand), who also choreographed the 2016 stage revival of Cats. The pic’s cast features hip hop dance sensation Larry and Laurent Bourgeiois (aka Les Twins); former principal dancer for the New York City Ballet and Tony-nominated actor Robbie Fairchild (An American In Paris); former soloist of The Royal Ballet Eric Underwood; Mëtte Towley, a member of Pharrell Williams’ acclaimed dance troupe The Baes; Steven McRae, principal of The Royal Ballet.
The below-the-line team includes Oscar-nominated production designer Eve Stewart (The King’s Speech), cinematographer Christopher Ross (Terminal, Room), Oscar-nominated costume designer Paco Delgado (The Danish Girl), Oscar-winning sound mixer Simon Hayes (Les Misérables), BAFTA-winning executive music producer Marius De Vries (Moulin Rouge, Romeo + Juliet) and renowned casting director Lucy Bevan (Ready Player One, Murder on the Orient Express).
Cats hits theaters on Dec. 20 next year.
Also starring is Dame Judi Dench as Old Deuteronomy, Jason Derulo as Rum Tum Tugger, Idris Elba as Macavity, Sir Ian McKellen as Gus, Rebel Wilson as Jennyanydots and Francesca Hayward as Victoria. Deadline exclusively broke many of the Cats castings.
Many have wondered how Cats will appear on screen, and the Tom Hooper-directed production is using a new technology to transform cast members into a vivid new vision of their characters.
Hooper adapted with Lee Hall (Billy Elliot), and is producing with Working Title’s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, as well as Debra Hayward, who brought the idea to Working Title. Monumental Pictures and The Really Useful Group are also producing with Steven Spielberg, Lloyd Webber and Angela Morrison (Les Misérables) and Jo Burn (Annihilation) serving as EPs.
Prior to the first day of shooting, the cast have been rehearsing at Leavesden Studios in Hertfordshire, UK. Overseeing the dancing in Cats is three-time Tony-winning choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton: An American Musical, In the Heights, Bandstand), who also choreographed the 2016 stage revival of Cats. The pic’s cast features hip hop dance sensation Larry and Laurent Bourgeiois (aka Les Twins); former principal dancer for the New York City Ballet and Tony-nominated actor Robbie Fairchild (An American In Paris); former soloist of The Royal Ballet Eric Underwood; Mëtte Towley, a member of Pharrell Williams’ acclaimed dance troupe The Baes; Steven McRae, principal of The Royal Ballet.
The below-the-line team includes Oscar-nominated production designer Eve Stewart (The King’s Speech), cinematographer Christopher Ross (Terminal, Room), Oscar-nominated costume designer Paco Delgado (The Danish Girl), Oscar-winning sound mixer Simon Hayes (Les Misérables), BAFTA-winning executive music producer Marius De Vries (Moulin Rouge, Romeo + Juliet) and renowned casting director Lucy Bevan (Ready Player One, Murder on the Orient Express).
Cats hits theaters on Dec. 20 next year.
#52
Moderator
Thread Starter
re: Cats (2019, D: Tom Hooper) S: Swift, McKellen, Corden, Hudson, Dench, Elba
Featuring spandex-wearing anthropomorphic cats and a barebones plot, Cats is possibly one of the strangest Broadway musicals to hit the Great White Way. And now it’s about to become one of the most baffling feature film musicals. Directed by Tom Hooper in his second movie musical following Les Miserables, Cats has an unfairly stacked cast including Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson, Idris Elba, and Judi Dench.
While the prospect of seeing Judi Dench in spandex is tempting, with Hooper’s moodily realistic approach to musicals, it seems like that sadly won’t be the case. /Film’s own Peter Sciretta and Ben Pearson are attending CinemaCon is Las Vegas this year and they learned that Cats will be a visual-effects heavy movie that uses motion capture technology and oversized sets to transform the actors into something closer to actual felines. Yes, really.
While the Cats stage musical is famous for its skintight, furry costumes that act as a more abstract representation of the title creatures, the movie is going for something different. Hooper and his team are using “digital fur technology to create the most perfect covering of fur.” In other words, the behind-the-scenes footage screened featured actors in leotards with markers on their face, placed there so visual effects wizards can add that realistic fur in post-production.
But that’s not all. The film will also treat the cast as if they’re the size of actual cats. That means oversized furniture built on giant practical sets. Ben and Peter compare it to something out of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids – cats scamper down mountainous staircases and walk by chairs that loom over them. The actors themselves move like cats, slinking around on the floor. If this sounds unbelievable…well, let’s just say Ben and Peter’s dispatches from the theater included the phrase, “I’m not joking.”
The strangest thing about this presentation is that it didn’t include concept art to give the audience an idea of what the finished film is supposed to look like, which means that the raw, FX-free footage was just plain odd. However, the scope was undeniable. There were huge dance sequences on gigantic soundstages and long dolly shots showing off talented dancers. At the very least, Cats is going to look big.
The film is based on the stage musical of the same name, which is the fourth-longest-running show in Broadway history. The music was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot. The stacked cast includes Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson, James Corden, Idris Elba, Ian McKellen, and Judi Dench. Hudson is playing Grizabella, McKellen is Gus, Dench plays Old Deuteronomy, and Elba is Macavity. It’s unclear which characters Swift and Cordon are playing. Other cast members include Mette Towley as Jemima, Francesca Hayward as Victoria, and Steven McRae as Skimbleshanks.
While the prospect of seeing Judi Dench in spandex is tempting, with Hooper’s moodily realistic approach to musicals, it seems like that sadly won’t be the case. /Film’s own Peter Sciretta and Ben Pearson are attending CinemaCon is Las Vegas this year and they learned that Cats will be a visual-effects heavy movie that uses motion capture technology and oversized sets to transform the actors into something closer to actual felines. Yes, really.
While the Cats stage musical is famous for its skintight, furry costumes that act as a more abstract representation of the title creatures, the movie is going for something different. Hooper and his team are using “digital fur technology to create the most perfect covering of fur.” In other words, the behind-the-scenes footage screened featured actors in leotards with markers on their face, placed there so visual effects wizards can add that realistic fur in post-production.
But that’s not all. The film will also treat the cast as if they’re the size of actual cats. That means oversized furniture built on giant practical sets. Ben and Peter compare it to something out of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids – cats scamper down mountainous staircases and walk by chairs that loom over them. The actors themselves move like cats, slinking around on the floor. If this sounds unbelievable…well, let’s just say Ben and Peter’s dispatches from the theater included the phrase, “I’m not joking.”
The strangest thing about this presentation is that it didn’t include concept art to give the audience an idea of what the finished film is supposed to look like, which means that the raw, FX-free footage was just plain odd. However, the scope was undeniable. There were huge dance sequences on gigantic soundstages and long dolly shots showing off talented dancers. At the very least, Cats is going to look big.
The film is based on the stage musical of the same name, which is the fourth-longest-running show in Broadway history. The music was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot. The stacked cast includes Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson, James Corden, Idris Elba, Ian McKellen, and Judi Dench. Hudson is playing Grizabella, McKellen is Gus, Dench plays Old Deuteronomy, and Elba is Macavity. It’s unclear which characters Swift and Cordon are playing. Other cast members include Mette Towley as Jemima, Francesca Hayward as Victoria, and Steven McRae as Skimbleshanks.
#54
DVD Talk Hero
re: Cats (2019, D: Tom Hooper) S: Swift, McKellen, Corden, Hudson, Dench, Elba
Here we go...
#56
DVD Talk Hero
re: Cats (2019, D: Tom Hooper) S: Swift, McKellen, Corden, Hudson, Dench, Elba
Tom Hooper has yet to make anything I’ve actually liked but this looks like a complete wreck that I kind of want to see just to satisfy my morbid curiosity.
#57
DVD Talk Limited Edition
re: Cats (2019, D: Tom Hooper) S: Swift, McKellen, Corden, Hudson, Dench, Elba
Both of my cats are outraged that they aren't using real feline actors for the roles. It is speciesist of Hollywood. I thought they were supposed to be inclusive of all mammals?
#61
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re: Cats (2019, D: Tom Hooper) S: Swift, McKellen, Corden, Hudson, Dench, Elba
America will watch a bad version of Le Mis to the tune of $150 mil. But foreigners will watch it $300 million more.
#62
Member
re: Cats (2019, D: Tom Hooper) S: Swift, McKellen, Corden, Hudson, Dench, Elba
Kind of a given due to there being literally billions more of them than us.
It’s not like it was universally panned by critics either. Aside from Russell Crowe having no business singing, it more or less worked. I have seen far worse musical film adaptations in the last couple of decades (Phantom of the Opera, Rent, just to name a couple —and those were disappointing to bombs as far as b.o. goes).
It’s not like it was universally panned by critics either. Aside from Russell Crowe having no business singing, it more or less worked. I have seen far worse musical film adaptations in the last couple of decades (Phantom of the Opera, Rent, just to name a couple —and those were disappointing to bombs as far as b.o. goes).
#63
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re: Cats (2019, D: Tom Hooper) S: Swift, McKellen, Corden, Hudson, Dench, Elba
#64
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
re: Cats (2019, D: Tom Hooper) S: Swift, McKellen, Corden, Hudson, Dench, Elba
Interesting. Live action with CGI fur. Heck of an assembly of talent. Not close to my favorite musical but I'm intrigued. I look forward to seeing the trailer in two days.
#65
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re: Cats (2019, D: Tom Hooper) S: Swift, McKellen, Corden, Hudson, Dench, Elba
I see what they’re going for. It will be like a talent show. Lots of different styles from classical to modern. That’s a pretty good idea.
I had to laugh when Taylor Swift called the songs timeless. They’re pretty dated.
Oh and I want Nicholas Cage to do Tiny Elvis one last time and visit that set. That thing is huuuuuge!
I had to laugh when Taylor Swift called the songs timeless. They’re pretty dated.
Oh and I want Nicholas Cage to do Tiny Elvis one last time and visit that set. That thing is huuuuuge!
#66
DVD Talk God
re: Cats (2019, D: Tom Hooper) S: Swift, McKellen, Corden, Hudson, Dench, Elba
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FtSd844cI7U" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Looks good. I am a fan of the musical and the music by Webber. I'll be looking forward to this.
Looks good. I am a fan of the musical and the music by Webber. I'll be looking forward to this.
#68
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#70
DVD Talk God
re: Cats (2019, D: Tom Hooper) S: Swift, McKellen, Corden, Hudson, Dench, Elba
I like Stuckmann's reply to the trailer tweet:
It is what it is. Actors and singers dressed up in cat costumes singing AL Webber's music on a soundstage.
It is what it is. Actors and singers dressed up in cat costumes singing AL Webber's music on a soundstage.
#71
DVD Talk Hero
re: Cats (2019, D: Tom Hooper) S: Swift, McKellen, Corden, Hudson, Dench, Elba
^ They're not dressed up at all ,because that could actually look better. They're all mo-capped, but it looks godawful. Disembodied floating head.
#73
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
re: Cats (2019, D: Tom Hooper) S: Swift, McKellen, Corden, Hudson, Dench, Elba
Surprised Jennifer Hudson gets "Memory". She gets to sing two of the four most iconic female Broadway songs of the past 40 years on screen (Madonna got one of the others, Anne Hathaway got the other one -- and I assume was going to get this one before she dropped out). Not bad for an American Idol runner-up.
Last edited by Decker; 07-18-19 at 05:51 PM. Reason: Forgot about Evita!
#74
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner