‘Cats’ Footage Earns Extreme Reactions From Film Journalists Over ‘Insane’ VFX

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Universal Pictures left the industry in a state of wonder at CinemaCon when it announced “digital fur technology” was being used to turn the actors in Tom Hooper’s “Cats” musical adaptation into felines. What exactly would Idris Elba, Judi Dench, Jennifer Hudson, and Taylor Swift look like with digital fur added to their faces and bodies? That answer finally arrived with the debut of the “Cats” official trailer, and the reactions from film critics and journalists is overwhelming, to say the least.

“Cats” is based on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s long-running West End and Broadway musical of the same name. The story is set during a single night and follows a group of homeless cats called the Jellicles as they decide which cat will ascend to a place called the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life. The musical was based on a collection of short stories written by T.S. Eliot.

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Hooper has experience with movie musicals thanks to “Les Misérables,” his 2012 adaptation for Universal that grossed over $440 million worldwide and landed eight Oscar nominations and a Best Supporting Actress win for Anne Hathaway. “Cats” finds Hooper playing with extensive visual effects and the final results are being called “horrifying” and “insane.”

“Cats” will open in theaters nationwide December 20 from Universal Pictures. Check out the extreme reactions below.

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