One of the most talked-about films in 2019 was Cats, which is based on the 1981 Tony-winning award stage musical by Andrew Llyod Webber. This Broadway musical has been a hit for decades and remains one of the most popular shows amongst theater fans. Of course, it was only a matter of time before Hollywood came knocking and the film was finally released on December 20, 2019. Despite being directed by Tom Hooper, who successfully adapted Les Miserables and has been Oscar-nominated for The King’s Speech and The Danish Girl, the 2019 film turned out to be a critical disaster.
Just because a movie has been trashed by critics, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee that it’ll be a financial disaster. Cats was a well-known intellectual property with a name cast that included Idris Elba, Judi Dench, and Ian McKellen, thus it had a strong chance of recouping its $95 million production price tag. Unfortunately, the musical adaption opened with a horrendous $6.5 million and managed to garner a little less than $75 million worldwide. Reportedly, the musical lost Universal Studios over $70 million, and it’s considered one of the biggest flops of all time. So, what happened? Cats was a recognizable name with a big cast and the film failed to entice audiences to purchase a ticket. Let’s dive deeper into the possible reasons for the musical adaption bombing so hard.
It’s A Movie About Singing Cats
Let’s ignore the terrible script, shoddy CGI, and the unbelievability of Cats altogether. It’s a film…about singing cats. Here’s the thing, movies about animals do particularly well at the box office. Whether it’s Charlotte’s Web, 101 Dalmations, Free Willy, or even E.T. (Aliens are technically animals, right?), it’s not unheard of an animal film doing well at the box office. However, the key component of those films is that they’re family features. One of the main problems about Cats is that it has an identity crisis. Even though it’s rated PG, it’s not a film targeted for kids, yet it doesn’t feel well-suited for adults as well. I can’t speak on the broadway play because I’ve never seen it. Whatever works on the theater stage wasn’t properly translated onscreen. The film is a complete mess, with no coherent plot and forgettable musical numbers. More importantly, Cats just isn’t fun. The CGI animals look downright creepy and weird, and it’s a movie about SINGING CATS! The trailers were a huge red flag, as it didn’t tell audiences exactly what the movie’s about. Cats wants to be this magical, fantasy film that can be enjoyed by all ages; however, it falls flat on its face in trying to achieve its goal. This is not a shot at the cast and director. They tried to do the best their could with the material. At the end of the day, Cats didn’t necessarily appeal to mainstream audiences because the plot wasn’t clear. The marketing was about majestic cats singing. That’s it. Not surprisingly, that tactic had many opting to not buy a ticket to this film.
The Trailer Failed To Entice Audiences To See The Film
As I previously stated, the trailer failed to get the moviegoers excited because it wasn’t clear what the plot was. The trailer currently has 186,000 downvotes, compared to its 65,000 upvotes on Youtube. It showcases the singing, dancing, and name cast; however, it never gives you a reason to buy a ticket in the first place. Trailers must give you insight into a movie’s story that should leave you intrigued and excited for the upcoming project. These days, trailers either give away too much or too little, which Cats clearly falls into the latter category. It highlights the majestic world that these cats live in, but it’s never clear if this is meant to be aimed at kids or adults despite the PG rating. Don’t worry, the entire film fails at that distinction as well. It feels too dark and moody for kids to enjoy, yet too silly and immature for adults as well. A trailer is usually a strong indication of whether a movie is terrible or not. Can a movie still be great if the trailer is terrible? Yes. While you can’t make a great movie out of a terrible script, you can piece together a bad trailer from an excellent film. Unfortunately for Cats, it’s a bad script, and the trailer gave most audiences a heads up on the overall film.Les Miserables
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