Really the only thing that it would appear John Boyega might kill if he’d have starred in Cats is his career since if anyone is still in the mood to remember this movie was panned before it was even released. When it did come out nothing changed since people were absolutely creeped out by the appearance of some of their favorite stars and it’s kind of obvious that the Broadway play didn’t make the transition all that well. Maybe Cats was ahead of its time or maybe it just wasn’t meant to hit the big screen and was better off enjoying its glory on stage where people still had massive respect for it. But Boyega, who has been a hit with the Star Wars movies no matter what anyone wants to say about Finn’s character arc being dumped in Rise of Skywalker, has done a great deal more than Cats could have offered him since really he’s become a star that a lot of people talk about and look up to in a big way since he’s proven that he has the kind of talent it takes to accept a role that might not be the best for him but is still something that can be entertaining. After all look at Pacific Rim: Uprising, and you’ll get a pretty good idea of what he can do with a movie that doesn’t have a lot of promise.
Cats is one of those rare movies that critics and fans agreed was just horrible from the get, and it’s not often that critics and fans are able to conclude that yes, it really was that bad. As Tyler Coates of Wired reminded us in his article people were predicting from the earliest trailers that the movie was going to be a train wreck and this was proven to be true since it just didn’t have the kind of vibe or even hint of self-realization to admit that it was that bad of a movie. It’s hard to tell whether or not Boyega is joking or if he’s being serious about being in a Cats movie but all in all it’s best that he wasn’t there since it’s impressive enough that most of those in the movie didn’t just tank their careers by appearing in the litter box-worthy production. Of course many of those that did star in the movie already had great reputations so one stinker isn’t going to sink them, but it will be a reminder that actors and directors do tend to make confusing decisions sometimes as to what movies they want to star in and why. Cats actually had some of the biggest names in Hollywood and it’s truly a wonder why any of them said yes to the picture unless they’re fans of the play or simply assumed that it would be a great opportunity.
In all fairness though the success of Cats up until it became a rather odd and disquieting movie was likely what a lot of people were banking on since it has been a well-known production for a long time now and has also been one of the more successful stage plays ever made. But bringing it to the big screen really didn’t do the production any favors since it made it loud and clear that bringing musicals to the big screen can work, but it doesn’t always. In fact if people want to see a musical it’s usually assumed that they’d be better off going to a stage play than watching it on the big screen since there appears to be something lost in transition that doesn’t always come through that well. In fact Hamilton is coming to the big screen eventually, but it sounds as though the highly popular play will be shown in its original form without any adaptation, which could work in its favor. Cats however reached for a new height that it definitely wasn’t ready for and expended nearly all of its nine lives in doing so. Going back to the stage at this point would likely be the best option since the big screen was anything but kind to those that watched the movie or those that participated in it.
At this point it’s not quite fair to say that Boyega’s career has stalled, especially since he has a couple of projects underway at this point, but it does feel as though his career would have taken a hit if he would have starred in Cats. This movie wasn’t really good for anyone involved since it built up a ton of criticism just making its way into the theater and there was little if any chance to recover by the time people sat down to watch. In the estimation of some the best part was when the credits started to roll, signifying that the movie was over. Kayleigh Donaldson of Screenrant has more to say on this.
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