If you’re not familiar with the hit British musical “Cats,” then you’re truly missing out. Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and based on “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” by T. S. Eliot, the musical tells the story of a tribe of cats called the Jellicles and the night they make “the Jellicle choice” to decide which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life.
“Cats” has gone on to find much popularity and success since its first performance in 1981, but it’s about to get even better. There is currently a film version of the musical in the works and its set to be completely star-studded. The movie version already signed on Ian McKellen, Jennifer Hudson, James Corden, and Taylor Swift, and now, Idris Elba is reportedly set to play the villainous Macavity.
Elba is in final negotiations to join the film adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber “Cats,” and Tom Hooper is set to direct the star-studded movie.
The Universal Pictures epic is set to drop in theaters on Dec. 20 and will be produced by Hooper and Working Title’s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. To add even more to the already star-studded cast, fellow “Les Misérables” producer Debra Hayward is also on board to help produce “Cats.”
Working Title Films will produce “Cats” in association with Monumental Pictures and The Really Useful Group, as well as be executive produced by Steven Spielberg, Lloyd Webber, and Angela Morrison.
This means some bad news for some Broadway babies, as the dated release for “Cats” pushes back the production and released of the upcoming Broadway adaptation o f “Wicked.”
By: Maytinee Kramer
