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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2018 12:54:42 GMT
Cynthia Erivo is going apoplectic with rage right now. Her Twitter fingers will be itching. |
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Post by tonyloco on Jan 5, 2018 13:18:47 GMT
I hope they'll use real cats. That reminds me of an episode when I was working for a major record company. We were approached by a film producer who had an idea to make a film based on 'Romeo and Juliet' but using live cats. I did a deal licensing film synchronisation rights for one of our recordings of the complete score of Prokofiev's 'Romeo and Juliet' for quite a sizeable sum of money and a few months later the producer got in touch to say he would like to show us some of his advance filming. I got together a number of the senior company executives for what we expected to be a rather unusual experience and we settled down to watch the filmed material. Well, it was all totally meaningless – just a lot of cats walking around aimlessly. This went on, and on, and on..... and my colleagues gradually sneaked away out of the darkened room. Eventually the room was just about empty but the cats were still walking around on the screen to Prokofiev's music. I don't know whether or not the film was supposed to have dialogue overdubbed but what we saw was lacking any speech and seemed to be total rubbish. Needless to say nothing further was heard of the project and the record company made a tidy profit out of the deal, as did the conductor of the recording with whom we shared the fee. On the basis of that, I would not recommend filming ALW's 'Cats' with real moggies, pussies or any other kind of felines! |
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Post by loureviews on Jan 5, 2018 14:02:59 GMT
There's already been a perfectly good film of the Cats show.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2018 15:40:23 GMT
The existing film was a recording of the show on stage (performed with the touring set at The Adelphi, IIRC). The new film appears to be a move away from the stage, in the same way as other stage-to-film adaptations have been made. I have no idea how that could ever work, and I suspect that The Emoji Movie may end up looking not so bad in comparison.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2018 19:03:10 GMT
Will there be leg warmers?
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Post by djp on Jan 7, 2018 15:40:30 GMT
Maybe they'll use CG in the same way The Jungle Book did but TBH Cats is so theatrical, it would be tricky to pull it off without making look ridiculous Seems a bizarre idea. Cats has Cats in one location - a rubbish tip. The Cats perform stories for each other.The performances are meant to look athletic, funny, or unconvincing, or sad. The whole thing works because the Cats are spolier, not cats but people - fit, attractive, very watchable, people - enhanced with appealing cat features . You can't take that out of the tip, you don't want cats that look like cats, or cat impersonators driving real trains, or real cats dressed as pirates. Nor do you want White Cat as an animation , or a real cat doing ballet moves, or the audience finding a real cat looks very sexy. And we certainly don't want Russell Crow growling along when his cat is meant to be singing something that sounds beautiful - not like a cat with hairball - or Nick Jonas playing the runt of the litter- who has lost his miaow. |
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Post by Phantom of London on Jan 7, 2018 19:19:18 GMT
I hope they'll use real cats. Mmmmmm Cats it’s how they’re biologically designed, tend to struggle with the higher notes. |
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Post by itsemily on Jan 7, 2018 19:25:48 GMT
I absolutely love Cats, I've seen it twice at the theatre and have watched the filmed version more times that I can count, however I really feel like this could be the film that no one has ever needed...
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Post by musicallady on Jan 7, 2018 19:48:32 GMT
Just one word - no!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2018 20:08:13 GMT
"Cats Dancing Cats you'll love it"
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Post by oxfordsimon on Jan 7, 2018 20:13:38 GMT
Cats really lacks the narrative drive necessary to be a satisfying piece of cinema. There is no character development or engaging plot arc that will keep people watching.
In the theatre, you are entertained by the variety of music, the clever choreography and the lycra bodystockings - but that won't cut the mustard in the cinema.
So unless they are able to construct a plot, they are never going to succeed. Yes, theatre fans will go along out of curiosity - but I can't see it getting much of an audience outside of that.
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Post by Raven on Jan 7, 2018 20:15:31 GMT
I read the article in the Daily Mail and my first response was "Leave it alone!". ALW seems to be meddling more and more with his musicals of late. I really don't see how they are going to be able to pull this off for a film. This kind of plot suits the stage, with it being set in the one location and with the nature of the stories being told. Not only that, but ALW wants to add more songs. He last experimented with changing the "Rum Tug Tugger" song by adding a rap and made osme changes to Grizabella, he's demanded a huge overhaul on Starlight...clearly he's not satisfied with his work and leaving them as they are!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2018 20:39:32 GMT
...Yes, theatre fans will go along out of curiosity... And you know what they say about curiosity... |
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Post by musicalmarge on Jan 7, 2018 21:29:28 GMT
I read the article in the Daily Mail and my first response was "Leave it alone!". ALW seems to be meddling more and more with his musicals of late. I really don't see how they are going to be able to pull this off for a film. This kind of plot suits the stage, with it being set in the one location and with the nature of the stories being told. Not only that, but ALW wants to add more songs. He last experimented with changing the "Rum Tug Tugger" song by adding a rap and made osme changes to Grizabella, he's demanded a huge overhaul on Starlight...clearly he's not satisfied with his work and leaving them as they are! I TOTALLY AGREE. Leave Starlight alone and leave CATS alone!!! They ran for over two decades and work brilliantly. Write a new fun show! Not a serious melodrama ALW! |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2018 21:38:00 GMT
And you know what they say about curiosity... One of my favourite things "they" have said about curiosity is: "Curiosity killed my cat." "What was your cat doing on Mars?" (Apologies to whoever first said it for quoting without attribution.) So unless they are able to construct a plot, they are never going to succeed. Perhaps they could retain the humans dressed as cats and have Grizabella die, but make it a murder mystery set in a cosplay convention. |
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Post by bjorne on Jan 13, 2018 16:16:00 GMT
I hope they'll use real cats. Mmmmmm Cats it’s how they’re biologically designed, tend to struggle with the higher notes. I don't know, during the mating seasons they sounds like a group audition for Wicked. |
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Post by theatremadness on Jul 19, 2018 22:19:47 GMT
Jennifer Hudson as Griz, James Corden, possibly Ian McKellen......Taylor Swift?! What a movie this is turning out to be!!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2018 22:35:37 GMT
Well if you need someone to steal a film or TV show with one song, its Jennifer. Hairspray and Dreamgirls are a testement to that! She'll be sensational.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Jul 19, 2018 22:40:29 GMT
McKellen has to be Gus - simply has to be
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Post by ali973 on Jul 19, 2018 22:43:57 GMT
agh..Taylor Swift. Anyone but her.
The rest seems fine. Hudson over-sings, but I generally like her. Except I have no idea how this will be done.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2018 22:50:53 GMT
Hmmm, interesting casting so far but seems like Corden has to be in everything, hope Ian Mckellen is in it! Based on who’s in it so far seems like the cats will be cgi not people dressed up like cats but in my head they will be very realistic like the new jungle book and it just makes me chuckle thinking of realistic cats dining and dancing, hope they think of something inventive to do otherwise it would look puuurthetic.
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Post by andrew on Jul 19, 2018 23:14:36 GMT
I really thing Nicole Scherzinger deserved to play Grizabella though...
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Post by johartuk on Jul 19, 2018 23:15:54 GMT
Not sure about Jennifer Hudson as Grizabella. I was hoping for someone a bit older, who could convey the fragility and the sadness of the character. Loving the idea of Sir Ian McKellen as Gus, though.
I wonder which character will get the new song? Or will it be an ensemble number?
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Post by westended on Jul 19, 2018 23:24:50 GMT
Not sure about Jennifer Hudson as Grizabella. I was hoping for someone a bit older, who could convey the fragility and the sadness of the character. Loving the idea of Sir Ian McKellen as Gus, though. I wonder which character will get the new song? Or will it be an ensemble number? The new song was apparently written for Victoria (the white cat) and Lloyd Webber is no thinking about expanding the score and writing some more songs for the film. |
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Post by oxfordsimon on Jul 19, 2018 23:50:20 GMT
The vast majority of songs that are added for film/new versions are rarely as well integrated or enjoyable as the ones they replace or sit between.
Starlight Express is a case in point - for me at least - where every iteration after the original seems to get weaker and weaker. The new material never seems to live up to the first production.
Perhaps he will rewrite 'Our Kind of Love'/'Love Never Dies' as 'Land on Your Feet, Cats always do.' - bound to be a hit and no-one will notice where he nicked it from, honest guv.
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