Cats stars compare film to Avatar and urge audience to give film a chance

Film’s trailer drew mixed reactions over its use of special effects

The stars of Cats have urged audience members to give the film a chance before judging it, as they attended the world premiere at the Lincoln Center in New York.

Robbie Fairchild, who plays Munkustrap, told the Hollywood Reporter: “When you think about ‘Avatar,’ when ‘Avatar’ first came out, everyone was like, ‘Ooh, oh God! But I think Avatar did pretty well. So I think we’re OK.”

Early glimpses of the film, including the trailer, drew mixed reactions and unnerved many viewers with its use of “digital fur technology”, which turned stars including James Corden, Taylor Swift and Idris Elba into anthropomorphic cats.

Mungojerrie actor Danny Collins said, “To make someone look as realistic and human and cat like as well is not really something that’s been seen before. So we were always expecting some reaction to it.

“I thought the strong reaction was quite amusing really — my personal feeling is that was kind of better than there being no reaction, than people kind of being like ‘meh.’ I think a lot of people who have never seen the stage show before and don’t know the concept of it at all were like, ‘What is this?’”

One Twitter user said that the CGI human-cat hybrids made the film look like a “demented dream ballet”, in a reaction to the trailer.

Judging by the first reactions, it seems like that verdict was spot on – but many are also praising the film.

Broadway star Alan Henry tweeted after the premiere: “The Cats movie is the strangest, most bewildering, queerest, magical, and spectacular cinematic experience I have ever had.“

He added: “I am not sure what just happened, but I know that it was something worth experiencing.”

Full Circle Line editor Marcos Melendez called the film “special and unique”.

Keaton Kilde, a writer for Vogue, quipped: ”The worst thing about Cats is that Jason Derulo is the best part.”

See more reactions here.

Cats is released in UK cinemas on 20 December, one day after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which is dividing fans following its premiere in Los Angeles.