The latest trailer for the upcoming movie musical “Cats” seems more hiss-terical than hiss-trionic.
Fur sure, the film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Broadway musical takes a less dark approach than the terrifying teaser released over the summer, with lighthearted antics by James Corden and Rebel Wilson helping to set a less furr-ocious tone. And as belle of the furball Old Deuteronomy, Dame Judi Dench’s tone is more soothing than sin-hiss-ter.
“Tonight is a magical night, where I choose the cat that deserves a new life,” she intones. Meanwhile, Francesca Hayward’s young feline, Victoria, takes on a hopeful gaze when she’s told “the most deserving cat will be reborn into another life, so they can be who they’ve always dreamed to be.”
Still, not everyone is keen on these CGI-enhanced kitties.
“#Cats is going to be the weirdest, most mind-boggling movie of the year of our lord 2019,” said one Twitter user, adding that the clip may have “officially heralded the beginning of the apocalypse.”
Other viewers are just plain scared, and some see similarities between the digitally enhanced actors and anime porn characters.
The Tom Hooper-directed film, out Dec. 20, also stars a jazz-hands-ing Idris Elba, Jason Derulo, Ian McKellen and Taylor Swift, who wrote a song for the film. And Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson (“Dreamgirls”) takes on the role of Grizabella and, of course, has the honor of belting out the show’s signature song, “Memories.”
