Here’s a lil’ update on that almighty Cats film adaptation: Jason Derulo and our very own Rebel Wilson are the latest talent to join the incredibly star-studded cast.
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These two join *inhales* Jennifer Hudson, Sir Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Idris Elba, Taylor Swift, and James Corden who signed on earlier this year.
I’m going to boldly assume you recognise every single one of those names.
Righto, so Cats – from the Andrew Lloyd Webber – is based on T.S. Eliot‘s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. You have a group of cats called the Jellicles and you have an extremely important night known as the Jellicle Choice. Each year on this important night, the wise leader Deuteronomy decides which cat goes to the Heaviside Layer to be reborn.
Traditionally, Deuteronomy is a male character but Dench will take on the role instead.
Derulo will play Rum Tum Tugger the rebellious cat thirsty for adventure and Wilson is set to star as Jennyanydots – ‘The Old Gumbie Cat’.
As for the other characters, we know Elba is playing bad cat Macavity; Hudson is playing Grizabella; and McKellan is Gus the Theatre Cat.
According to Derulo’s IMDb page, this will be his film debut. The artist announced the news on his Instagram earlier this week.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqc44Kzn07r/
The budget – just imagine that budget.
Tom Hooper – man behind goddamn The King’s Speech and Les Misérables – helms the film while Lee Hall, the screenwriter on Billy Elliot, adapted the musical.
But wait, there’s more.
Three-time Tony Award-winning choreographer, Andy Blankenbuehler who has previously worked on the actual musical as well as Hamilton and Annie to name the absolute bare minimum has just been announced as the film’s choreographer.
In other words, this will probably generate so much Oscar buzz.
