Universal Pictures
The Cats film adaptation released back in 2019. At the time, it went viral due to its absurd visuals and odd scripts. Soon, the internet memed the film into oblivion. However, almost two years later, one of its stars, Jennifer Hudson, continues to defend Cats…
Jennifer Hudson On Cats
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Recently, singer and actress Jennifer Hudson sat down with Total Film Magazine to talk about her role in the upcoming Aretha Franklin biopic Respect. Of course, at one point, the interview turned to the past movies Hudson has worked on – including Cats. In case you didn’t see it, the 2019 version of Cats, an adaptation of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit Broadway musical, is now considered one of the worst films of all time. However, in her interview with Total Film, Hudson, 39, defended the film.
“You know what? I think it was a bit overwhelming. It’s unfortunate that it was misunderstood,” Hudson told the outlet. “I think later down the line, people will see it differently. But it is something I am still very proud of and grateful to have been a part of. Yeah, I got to be Grizabella the Glamour Cat!” Meanwhile, Hudson also loved her time on set! “They are the best thing I’ve ever had,” she commented. “I love them so much.” While Hudson has few supporters on this, she has at least one other supporter: Cats director Tom Hooper. “I was just so fascinated because I didn’t think it was controversial at all,” Hooper said. “Cats was apparently the number-one trending topic in the world, for a good few hours at least.”
Hooper admits the SFX technology could have been better, he doesn’t think that should detract from the story and songs. “Possibly there were, in the extremity in some of the responses, some clues in how to keep evolving [the production],” he said. “When you watch the finished film, you’ll see that some of the designs of the cats have moved on since then, and certainly, our understanding of how to use the technology to make them work has gone up, too.”
Entertaining The Thought Of Criticism
Universal Pictures
However, Hudson seems to be very much alone on this. Many of the film’s other stars, including Judi Dench, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson, and James Corden, have expressed disappointment in the final cut of Cats. Likewise, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber has dismissed the film completely. “The problem with the film was that Tom Hooper decided that he didn’t want anybody involved in it who was involved in the original show,” the playwright, 73, explained in 2020. “The whole thing was ridiculous.”
At the end of the day, critics and audiences agreed with the rest of the cast and Webber. The adaptation scored a 53% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes and a measly 19% Critic Score. “Despite its fur-midable cast, this Cats adaptation is a clawful mistake that will leave most viewers begging to be put out of their mew-sery,” the Critical Consensus reads. Thankfully, Hudson does not need to worry too much about her upcoming musical: Respect has earned excellent reviews so far!
