Cast of 'Cats' urge audience to give movie a chance post trailer controversy

The director of the fantasy comedy-drama Cats, Tom Hooper, told the audience that he'd just completed the shooting of the movie and is making the well-heeled crowd among the first audiences to see a finished cut of the VFX-heavy film version of the hit Broadway musical, reported The Hollywood Reporter. After the trailer launch, the online commentators were quick in shrugging their shoulders because of the unrealistic appearances of the cast in the movie with the use of high VFX.

Many were unnerved by the look of stars like Taylor Swift and Idris Elba as anthropomorphic cats with a blend of digital fur technology and the actors' faces and human anatomy and movements.

The cast of the movie, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, had a positive take on the backlash as the actors were just pleased their production was getting so much attention.

Aactor Naoimh Morgan said, "If you don't know the musical, to you it's just humans covered in fur and that's like, 'What is this? What is this world?' But once you see the movie, if you give it a chance and see the movie, you will forget that side of things and you will just be involved in this story and in this new world and you'll just appreciate it for what it is."

The stars also attributed the backlash to the shock of something new, particularly felt by those who weren't familiar with the Broadway musical, which features actors in lavish makeup and fur-covered costumes, moving like felines. 

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• Hollywood movie