Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer of "Cats," says 2019 movie depiction was so bad it made him buy a dog
The musical film "Cats" instantly became a box office flop when it hit theaters in 2019. It has inspired countless memes and jokes, and now, Andrew Lloyd Webber, who composed the original production of "Cats," is joining in on the criticism, saying the film is so bad, it made him get a "therapy dog."
In an interview with Variety, Lloyd Webber said the movie was "off-the-scale all wrong."
"There wasn't really any understanding of why the music ticked at all. I saw it and I just thought, 'Oh, God, no,'" Lloyd Webber told Variety. "It was the first time in my 70-odd years on this planet that I went out and bought a dog. So the one good thing to come out of it is my little Havanese puppy."
The original production of "Cats" is one of the longest-running shows in London West End and Broadway history, according to the musical's website. The production is based on T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, and revolves around a group of junkyard cats competing to ascend to a new, better life.
The musical production won a Tony Award, but the 2019 movie depiction, which starred Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift, Jason Derulo, James Corden, Idris Elba, Judi Dench and Ian McKellen, received poor reviews. The movie has a 2.7 out of 10 rating on IMDB, and 20% out of 100 on Rotten Tomatoes, which said on its website the movie is a "clawful mistake that will leave most viewers begging to be put out of their mew-sery."
Lloyd Webber told Variety that he and his dog have become attached, and that he has told one airline that his canine companion is a therapy dog so that he can take it on a flight to New York.
"I said I needed him with me at all times because I'm emotionally damaged and I must have this therapy dog," Lloyd Webber said. When the airline asked him to prove he needed the dog aboard, he responded, "Yes, just see what Hollywood did to my musical 'Cats.'"
With his explanation, Lloyd Webber said, the airline gave their approval with a note saying, "No doctor's report required."
