Cats the movie: Trailer, cast, release date and how the film will be different to the West End musical classic

The trailer for the movie adaption of West End musical Cats has just dropped and it has left fans a little baffled.

The star-studded film, which features big names including Taylor Swift and Idris Elba, is due for release this Christmas and tells the story of a gang of cats deciding which special feline will ascend and receive new life (yes, really).

The two-and-a-half minute long trailer showcased the song Memory, for which the musical is known, performed by Jennifer Hudson. Oh, and if you’ve ever wanted to see what Sir Ian McKellen would look like as a cat, today is your lucky day.

Whilst we don’t know much about the plot – mostly because there isn’t really one to speak of – the film is sure to hit headlines thanks to its all-star cast donning CGI cat suits. What a time to be alive.

Here’s everything we know about the Cat movie so far:

When will the Cats movie be released?

The release date is planned for December 20, 2019 – making it the perfect film to drag your bored family out to go and see on Boxing Day.

Who features in the cast?

Hollywood's A-Listers have come out in force to star in the movie, which leads one to assume they all must really like cats.

Here’s who’s playing who in the new Cats movie:

Jennifer Hudson as Grizabella

Taylor Swift as Bombalurina

Francesca Hayward as Victoria

Jason Derulo as Rum Tum Tugger

Judi Dench as Old Deuteronomy

James Corden as Bustopher Jones

Idris Elba as Macavity

Ian McKellen as Gus the Theatre Cat

Rebel Wilson as Jennyanydots

What is Cats about?

Over the course of one night, a tribe of cats called the Jellicles hold a ball to decide which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life – that’s it, that’s the plot. The non-linear narrative is partly down to the fact it's based on TS Eliot's collection of light-hearted poems, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.

How long was Cats on at the West End for?

The upcoming Cats movie takes its inspiration from the Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical of the same name, which made its West End debut in 1981, and then on to Broadway in 1982.

Cats went on to receive numerous awards, including Best Musical at both the Laurence Olivier Awards and the Tony Awards.

The London production ran for 21 years (1981-2002), making it the sixth-longest-running West End Show.

It returned to the West for a limited 12-week run in 2014, which saw Nicole Scherzinger play the lead of Grizabella.

Tom Hooper, the mastermind behind the 2012 adaption of Les Miserables, will direct the Cats movie.