After a disappointing opening weekend, Universal Studios is making an “unheard of” move for “Cats,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The studio is releasing an “updated” version of the film to movie theaters across the country with “some improved visual effects,” according to a memo obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.
The updated version of the film was available to theaters for download on Sunday, according to The Hollywood Reporter, while those without access to a satellite server will receive a hard drive copy by Tuesday.
At the premiere of “Cats” earlier this month, director Tom Hooper told Variety he had finished working on the film “hours” before the premiere.
“I finished it at 8 a.m. yesterday after 36 hours in a row,” Hooper told Variety at the premiere. “I just put the finishing touches on. So, I’m very happy to be here with it fully finished.”
However, some viewers noted that there were some visual elements of the film that appeared unfinished, including a scene featuring Judi Dench with a human hand and what appears to be her wedding ring, USA Today reported.
“Cats” earned just $6.5 million at the box office this weekend, after the film was slammed by many critics, The Associated Press reported. It also currently has an 18% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes.
“Broadway fans might enjoy the results more than the layperson, but it’s still difficult to see anything even a diehard fan would get out of seeing this onscreen,” critic Josh Terry wrote in a review for the Deseret News. “‘Cats’ was a groundbreaking Broadway musical, but it just doesn’t work as a movie.”