We can only assume you’ve seen the trailer for Cats – and if not, please fix that, right now.
Tom Hooper’s big-screen adaptation of the inscrutable Broadway hit, which features the likes of Taylor Swift, Idris Elba, and Dame Judi Dench, has been rendered in soul-curdling CGI, and it’s just something we all need to deal with. That said, some people are dealing with it better than others.
[jwplayer LM4wPr7b]
In the wake of that nightmarish vision, folks have taken to social media to express their abject horror. Behold, Aussie comic Jordan Raskopolous, rationalising what her eyes have seen by pairing it with Tom Walker‘s cat bit:
pairing @tomwalkerisgood ‘s Me Meow with the Cats trailer pic.twitter.com/7P7n9epEbu
— Jordan Raskopoulos (@JordanRasko) July 18, 2019
Others have responded by likening the visuals to other pivotal cat moments in internet history:
CATS the movie: the trailer’s expected audience reaction, VS
actual audience reaction pic.twitter.com/Xh3RjcbbL9— Nate (@N8_K_W) July 19, 2019
the new cats movie looks crazy pic.twitter.com/GA3fzwawCD
— ayy lmao (@ayylmaotv) July 18, 2019
But after the shock subsided, many viewers took it upon themselves to advocate for the stars who have inexplicably wound up in the project. While legions of Taylor Swift stans have responded with their autogenerated “SKSKSKSKSKSKKS QUEEN” patter, some have taken it upon themselves to defend the singer’s honour and question the choices which led her here:
Taylor Swift complaining to her agent in her trailer after the first day of filming #CatsMovie 🐈 pic.twitter.com/4K55FlWZK3
— Aquaria 🤌🏼 (@aquariaofficial) July 18, 2019
when I’m in the theater for Taylor Swift and the furries start coming in pic.twitter.com/1uC44ffXir
— bozo (@samarasfang) July 18, 2019
https://twitter.com/sadydoyle/status/1151970073856348160
no one:
sleep paralysis: you wanna see a cat with taylor swift’s face
— doctorspark (@soulcycle9) July 18, 2019
The same goes for fans of Jennifer Hudson, who already has a fucking Oscar for her appearance in a musical and probably didn’t need to do this:
https://twitter.com/tayligionn/status/1151985654424842242
Jennifer hudson in the #CatsMovie trailer: pic.twitter.com/p27jLBwbAG
— Mark (@yosoymark913) July 18, 2019
They did Jennifer Hudson wrong. #CatsMovie pic.twitter.com/ZVmKAuHDqE
— Jimmy Tumbler Early (@jamesjonesesq) July 18, 2019
Then there are the Denchheads, who have Some Thoughts about the legend’s decision:
https://twitter.com/wewritelettrs/status/1151969141273894918
Tom Hooper, based on this picture of Dame Judi Dench, is history’s greatest monster. pic.twitter.com/zIIIG2REn3
— H. Perry Horton (@hperryhorton) July 19, 2019
Dame Judi Dench was so meticulous in her preparation for her role in Cats, that for the last six months she’s been pooing in a tray in the conservatory, brought home dead birds, and hung around the neighbours’ house so often they started feeding her. pic.twitter.com/rQz4W0TfMx
— Alistair Coleman (@alistaircoleman) July 18, 2019
Last but not least are the Idris Elba supporters, who are wondering how someone can go from contending for the role of James Bond to performing as a raggedy-ass feral:
Me trying to save Idris Elba from the CATS movie: pic.twitter.com/xlaIaAQNTh
— Ryan Aguirre (@aguirreryan) July 18, 2019
me at idris elba after watching the cats trailer
https://t.co/ogFwj6yqUE— elisa 🦇 (@jjongosaur) July 18, 2019
oh no pic.twitter.com/4B9sglJZBS
— priscilla page (@BBW_BFF) July 18, 2019
Cats hits Aussie cinema screens on Boxing Day.