As if they hadn’t had enough bad news already.
The much-maligned, though still much-discussed (bad publicity is better than no publicity, right?) film adaptation of Cats has flopped at the box office on its opening weekend. Universal Pictures would have been hoping the movie met its initial tracking of at least $15 million, but it’s ultimately pulled in just $6.5 million – barely a third of the original projection.
This disappointing opening cements the fact that Cats has become a fully-fledged box office bomb and one of the year’s biggest flops. With a total budget estimated at over $100 million, the film represented a highly risky venture and rampant bad press has likely killed its chances of recouping costs. Currently sitting at just 18% on Rotten Tomatoes (that’s worse than two Transformers sequels), critics have lambasted its terrifying use of CGI – a case of filmmakers being so preoccupied with whether or not they could, that they didn’t stop to think if they should.
Indeed, this looks certain to be going down as an egregious aberration on the CVs of many a thesp. Seems high time for one of my much-adored lists don’t you think? Yes, Cats is a 2019 musical fantasy film starring Academy Award winner Judi Dench, six-time Olivier Award winner Ian McKellen, Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson and four-time Grammy Award winner Taylor Swift (not really a thesp, but awards are awards). That’s without even addressing director Tom Hooper, whose 2010 biographical drama The King’s Speech was an awards sensation.
I suppose we’ve all done things we regret, though. James Corden has now appeared in both Cats and The Emoji Movie. Bummer.
If you’re still feeling intrepid enough to see this feline disaster though after everything you’ve read about it, you’re either the bravest person this side of Neil Armstrong or clinically insane. Choose your next move carefully.