Cats (2019): The Film That Sparked a Therapy Dog Moment for Andrew Lloyd Webber
The 2019 film adaptation of Cats attempted to translate Webber's beloved stage musical into a big-screen spectacle. Based on Webber’s own West End and Broadway show, which in turn drew from T. S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, the story follows a group of Jellicle cats who perform at the Jellicle Ball and compete for a mysterious afterlife destination known as the Heaviside Layer.
In theory, the movie should have been a blockbuster given its star-studded lineup, including Taylor Swift, Idris Elba, Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, James Corden, Jennifer Hudson, Jason Derulo, Rebel Wilson, and Ray Winstone. The presence of such famous names, plus a built-in audience from fans of the stage musical, suggested box office gold. Yet audiences were put off by the film’s striking CGI choices and awkward visual design, which many critics deemed off-putting or even jarring.
The return on screen was disappointing. The film earned roughly $75 million worldwide on a production budget widely reported around $100 million, and it landed a low score on Rotten Tomatoes (around 19%). Beyond the numbers, many viewers also found the execution of the story and the CGI work troubling, with several noticeable technical inconsistencies cited as major misfires.
This isn’t the first time Andrew Lloyd Webber weighed in on the movie. In interviews, he expressed clear disdain for the adaptation. On CBS Sunday Morning, he explained how deeply unimpressed he was, even joking about how the experience led him to a surprising personal reaction. He described acquiring a Havanese puppy as “therapy on planes” after watching the film, noting that he would write airline notes explaining the dog’s purpose and how it related to his Cats experience.
The project’s troubled production history also drew attention. Tom Hooper, who directed Les Misérables, chose a direction that Webber publicly criticized years later, suggesting a disconnect between the film’s creators and the people who had shaped the original stage show.
In the end, Cats did little to convert cinema audiences or convert new fans, despite its pedigree. Comparisons are often drawn to Wicked, which has shown considerably stronger staying power at the box office, underscoring how studio risks with beloved stage properties can pay off—or flop—depending on execution and resonance with viewers.
Overall, Cats (2019) remains a cautionary tale about translating stage magic to the screen: star power and source material aren’t guarantees, and even a “Jellicle Ball” can fall flat if the on-screen realization isn’t universally compelling.