Andrew Lloyd Webber Calls ‘Cats’ Movie ‘Ridiculous,’ Blames Director Tom Hooper

Andrew Lloyd Webber didn't like the Cats movie either. The 72-year-old British composer, who wrote the original Cats musical in the 1980s, opens up about his impression of the 2019 film in a new interview with The Sunday Times.

“The problem with the film was that Tom Hooper decided, as he had with Les Mis, that he didn’t want anybody involved in it who was involved in the original show," Lloyd Webber says of the Oscar-winning director. "The whole thing was ridiculous.”

The film, which starred Idris Elba, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson, Judi Dench, James Corden and more, was widely panned by critics. It also won six Razzie Awards, including Worst Picture.

The original musical of Cats ran in London's West End for 21 years and on Broadway for 18, a record only broken by another one of Lloyd Webber's hit shows, The Phantom of the Opera.

Lloyd Webber co-wrote the new song, "Beautiful Ghosts," with Swift for the film version.

"When you started playing the music, it was just this beautiful, haunting melody," Swift told Lloyd Webber in a featurette for the film.

For more from Cats, watch the clip below:

RELATED CONTENT:

'Cats': Taylor Swift on the Surprising Way Her Own Cats Influenced the Movie! (Exclusive)

This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors.

If you are using ad-blocking software, please disable it and reload the page.

Judi Dench Seemingly Hated How She Looks in 'Cats'

Hugh Jackman Reveals He Turned Down a Role in 'Cats'

James Corden Reveals to Justin Bieber Just How Much He Regrets Doing 'Cats'