Cats allegedly headed for big screen- Page 2

[BobbyBubbi]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 3:02pm

^ IMO the film adaptation of Into the Woods suffered from this as well. Most of the songs are park and bark numbers, which didn't leave much to adapt. 

There's a few examples, but the most significant was Red Ridinghood's "I know things now." While she sang there was a rather weak, pastiche-y, slow-motion flashback of an action that had just occurred in "real time." It was honest, but dull. 

Tricky tricky stuff adapting a musical these days. 

 

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 3:09pm

True, BobbyBubbi, and every song in Cats is essentially a "park and bark" number. How many times can we see a character start to sing, then get pulled away to some trippy flashback or flash-forward, or out-of-body narrative? Not for each song. Even two or three will be excessive.

 

They're going to need to come up with a stylized approach cinematically to these numbers (not in his style, but Baz Lurhmann was great at never showing us a linear presentation of a song).

[gypsy101]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 3:14pm

Mister Matt said: "Even if it were true, why would it be sad news and why would you care of it gets made?  How would it effect you and why would you want to prevent those with a desire to see it from doing so?   Perhaps you also feel you should not be allowed to see anything you really like or even love because someone out there hates it. I've never understood this ridiculously selfish notion.  Just...don't see it and let it go.  Sheesh!"

 

It personally makes me sad because Cats is a terrible musical and there are many musicals that could be made into films and this should not be one of them. Am I not allowed to express my own opinion of sadness at this news? As for people who would want to see a film based on Cats...I suppose they need all the help from us that we can give.

Updated On: 2/8/16 at 03:14 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 3:22pm

I feel sad for the people who think "Cats" is a terrible musical. I weep for them.
 

Openly.

 

I sometimes have to be carried out of rooms.

Updated On: 2/8/16 at 03:22 PM

[Shrek3]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 4:10pm

Cats isn't a terrible musical at all. The people who think that obviously never saw the  beautiful and transcending  original Broadway show. But yeah, I don't see how a film version of CATS would work unless it's animated.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 4:19pm

T.S. Eliot actually turned down Disney because he didn't want his cats turned into animated cartoon cats. I would hope no one would ever be that disrespectful and adapt the musical as an animated movie. He never wanted that.

[pupscotch]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 4:30pm

CATSNYrevival said: "T.S. Eliot actually turned down Disney because he didn't want his cats turned into animated cartoon cats. I would hope no one would ever be that disrespectful and adapt the musical as an animated movie. He never wanted that.

 

"

I understand your point, but I don't think a live-action version of this musical would go over well on screen. It's already polarizing on Broadway, as many people don't really like it, but an animated movie has a better chance of being a critical and financial success, which is what the studios really want anyway, as much as I hate to say it.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 4:37pm

To Shrek

 

I saw the original and did not care for it. If you did great

[Sunny11]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 4:43pm

A CGI/ Live action hybrid movie like the smurfs movies might be good actually. Maybe " cheat" a bit and protray a real life T.S Elliot on screen and follow him with  the CGI  Cats  in his imagination? 

[icecreambenjamin]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 4:52pm

I think that this needs to be animated with beautiful animation and voiced by great performers to work.  I have my issues with this musical.  I specifically think that it's extremely dated, but I might enjoy it with better orchestrations (which are awful on the OCR).

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 5:00pm

Cats relies heavily on performances, since there isn't much plot to speak of. While animated characters would open up visual possibilities, it would also rob us of seeing these actors perform. Then again, would film audiences buy theatrical makeup and costumes (and leotards) on human actors who are supposed to be cats? It works (not always) with children's films, such as Wizard of Oz. But then you're turning Cats into a children's film. Some people feel that animation is (automatically) a children's genre as well.

 

This would be a difficult adaptation to pull off anyway you look at it.

Updated On: 2/8/16 at 05:00 PM

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 5:34pm

And they need to keep Tom Hooper away from it

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 5:36pm

^ Extreme closeups of cat faces.

Updated On: 2/8/16 at 05:36 PM

[CindersGolightly]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 6:00pm

The choreography for this alone would be one of the biggest modern film marvels this generation has seen. Why not? This'll open more films to be made, as well. Especially if it does well. 

[BobbyBubbi]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 6:22pm

best12bars said: "Cats relies heavily on performances, since there isn't much plot to speak of. While animated characters would open up visual possibilities, it would also rob us of seeing these actors perform. Then again, would film audiences buy theatrical makeup and costumes (and leotards) on human actors who are supposed to be cats? It works (not always) with children's films, such as Wizard of Oz. But then you're turning Cats into a children's film. Some people feel that animation is (automatically) a children's genre as well.

This would be a difficult adaptation to pull off anyway you look at it.

"

From a visual standpoint there's a lot of ways they could go for a film adaptation. The film version of Where the Wild Things Are (2009) bombed because they tried to flesh out a very basic children's book into a full length feature film (and the kid they cast in the main role was totally unlikeable); but it is a good example of how puppets and CGI were blended to create a powerful end result that did justice to Maurice Sendak's original drawings. It was successful at creating a lot of atmosphere and mood, It wasn't fully live action and it wasn't all CGI, but a mixture of both. 

CATS could be a visual stunner, with the right team involved. 

I'm hoping that this isn't all bunk though. I think team Webber likes the publicity of a 'possible film' to amp up ticket sales for the Broadway revival more than they like the idea of putting together a film (which would be a risky investment no matter how you slice it). Webber has done this for a long time. He's a major blow hard and likes to create hype where there is none. 

 

[TerrenceIsTheMann]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 6:29pm

I agree with best12bars. How do you create a good film around this show? It has great moments, but all of those moments play best on stage. I think that creates a ceiling for how good this film could be. I think it would be best to do a film of a less-hyped musical like Ragtime or Parade where the book would play well on screen. 

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 6:57pm

It personally makes me sad because Cats is a terrible musical and there are many musicals that could be made into films and this should not be one of them.

 

How you feel about the show and if it gets produced as a film has nothing to do with whether other musicals could be made into films.  If you're sad other films of musicals you like aren't being made, then okay, I guess.  I imagine you'll find reasons to choose to be unhappy the rest of your life.  

 

Am I not allowed to express my own opinion of sadness at this news?

 

Who said you're not allowed?  Not me.

 

As for people who would want to see a film based on Cats...I suppose they need all the help from us that we can give.

 

I can never imagine needing or requesting help of that sort of @ssholery ever.  I imagine if they're happy to see it and want to see it, they do not seek out assistance to be sad and miserable in order NOT to see what they like.  I know I wouldn't if it would come with that attitude.  Good Lord.

 

It's already polarizing on Broadway, as many people don't really like it

 

Comparatively speaking, given the numerous long-running international productions, it's really not that polarizing at all.  It's about as polarizing as Phantom of the Opera or Les Miserables, which is only somewhat polarizing within a small world made up of musical theatre enthusiasts on message boards.

[ggersten]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 7:00pm

Too bad Ernest Lehman is not around to pen the film adaptation.  Hmm, I wonder what Charlie Kaufman could do with this.  

[pupscotch]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 7:03pm

Hmm, I wonder what Charlie Kaufman could do with this.

If Charlie Kaufman did this, I would definitely watch it. However, I don't think this musical is the best choice for an adaptation, as it has not aged well, and it would be hard to capture on film. Plenty of other musicals would transfer well to film.

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 7:15pm

If TS Elliot forbade it from being animated then it should never be made.

[Dave19]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 7:23pm

Nice, Meryl Streep on her knees in an alley attempting a song in 1 take, dressed as a cat. Because we all know that only that will bring raw emotion with this material.

[Shrek3]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 7:26pm

^ Seemed to work for Hatheway, since it won her her freakin Oscar, you one-note loser.

[Dave19]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 7:40pm

The only scenes that work like that is when someone is crying and sniffing their way through a song.

 

That way the quality of cinematography, singing or anything else doesn't matter anymore. Very easy way to get the audience. Even though the singing feels very out of place and  too literal like that for film, because it actually gets more in the way than it is adding anything. Actually, I see an actor struggling with singing and hiding behind their cry to not have to sing. Some people might mistake that for emotion.

 

Unfortunately it does not work with any other emotion.

 

That's also the reason why only "I dreamed a dream" and "soliloquy" kind of work. But the rest of the 3 hours.......

 

Updated On: 2/8/16 at 07:40 PM

[Shrek3]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 7:45pm

Oh my god.  WE GET IT. You didn't like the Les Mis film. Mother of God are you capable of talking about anything else?  Between your racist comments and you're broken record talk of Les Mis, are you actually capable of talking about anything else on here? I'm genuinely curious.

[Dave19]

Posted: 2/8/16 at 8:08pm

I'm glad you get it.

 

For how long have you actually been on this board? What was your previous screen name?