Tom Hooper's movie musical Cats is on track to lose $71 million at the box office. Based on Andrew Lloyd Webber's long-running Broadway musical of the same name, Cats struggled to find its footing after its first trailer dropped back in July, confusing viewers with its uncomfortably realistic "digital fur technology". Despite an all-star cast that includes Taylor Swift, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Jason Derulo, and Judi Dench, the film bombed at the box office with a $6.5 million opening weekend.
The low opening weekend didn't come as a huge surprise, considering the film was slammed by critics right out the gate. Since then, the film has struggled to stay afloat at the box office amongst its Holiday season competitors. Critic reviews aside, Universal also struggled with the film's opening, as an updated version of Hooper's film was sent out late with improved CGI effects following the film's release. Not only that, but Universal also recently pulled the film from its list of potential award contenders. It looks like all of the negativity surrounding the film couldn't be ignored, and unfortunately, Cats is on track to be quite the loss for the studio.
According to Deadline, Cats is tracking to lose $71 million at the global box office, that is if the film "reaches a global box office result of $100M," with "$40M stateside and $60M abroad." This projection is based on a $90 million budget and $115 million towards advertising. Currently, Cats sits at $17 million in the U.S. and $38 million globally. Unfortunately, it's tracking among general audiences with "a low 30%". This weekend alone, Hooper's film made only $4.8 million in the U.S./Canada. The results aren't that much brighter overseas either, as Cats took in "$13.6M from 37 new markets." To top it all off, it also had dismal debuts on the top 10 charts "across South Korea, Mexico, Spain, and France among many other markets."
There are a number of reasons why Cats is bombing so hard at the box office. The late visual effects, scathing reviews, coupled with it opening alongside the highly anticipated saga-ender Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, all worked together in sealing the deal on Cats' box office results. Even the marketing team behind the film has taken to calling the critics reviews wrong, and although this is a playful jab at the divisive nature of the film, it's also a sign of how Cats is struggling to land on its feet.
It also doesn't help that actors have joined the masses in openly bashing the film. James Corden, who acts in the film as a cat named Bustopher Jones, recently expressed that he hadn't seen it but heard it was horrible, while Frozen 2's Evan Rachel Wood ripped the film apart on Twitter and Instagram. Audiences usually go by word-of-mouth when it comes to a film like this, and these reactions are certainly contributing to a movie-goers decision. But, even though Cats is tracking to be a massive loss at the box office, it's certainly destined to find its cult-classic home later down the line.
Source: Deadline