Dame Judi Dench has offered her most detailed reflections yet on the 2019 cinematic adaptation of Cats. Her forthcoming memoir is set for release on November 3, 2026.
In excerpts from the book, co-written with actor Brendan O’Hea, Dench expresses deep empathy for Lloyd Webber while detailing a production atmosphere she found troubling. Though she played Old Deuteronomy in the Tom Hooper-directed musical, she provides a candid assessment of the project’s outcome, according to reporting on the memoir’s contents.
Concerns Over On-Set Conditions
While the film was widely panned by critics for its visual effects and “digital fur technology,” Dench’s critiques focus more on the human element of the production. She details feeling “ill at ease” during filming and specifically highlights the treatment of the ensemble’s young dancers.
Dench claims that performers were frequently “left hanging” in harnesses at the end of takes, sometimes being “completely ignored” by the production team while they waited for the next sequence. Despite these specific grievances, Dench maintains a nuanced view of the failure, stating that “nobody sets out to make a bad film” and insisting there were “no villains” involved in the creation of the movie.
The Fallout for Lloyd Webber and Tom Hooper
The veteran actress’s comments align with the public disappointment previously voiced by Andrew Lloyd Webber himself. The composer has famously disparaged the adaptation, calling it “off-the-scale all wrong.” His reaction to the film was reportedly so visceral that he purchased a Havanese dog for emotional support, even claiming to an airline that he needed the animal with him to cope with the trauma of the production.
The memoir also serves as a reminder of the film’s lasting impact on those behind the camera. Director Tom Hooper, who won an Academy Award for The King’s Speech, has notably not released another feature film in the seven years since the 2019 release of Cats.
According to Macmillan Publishers, Dench’s new book is structured as a series of conversations about her life and career. While the book provides a blunt look at the 2019 film, the memoir also covers her extensive history on stage and screen, including her previous roles in Lloyd Webber’s theatrical productions.
