This is your first of many reminders that this year, Taylor Swift will star in a live-action adaptation of Cats. The star herself posted her first official Cats-related Instagram post today, sharing both a pic from the set and an Instagram Story video. Apparently, wherever Cats is filming, there is snow in the air. Which is crazy, because there is no snow in the Andrew Lloyd Weber musical.
"So, I'm on set for Cats and it is fully snowing," Swift squeals in the video. In another video, the "Delicate" singer dances in the snow.
In mid-2018, reports emerged that Swift would appear alongside Jennifer Hudson and Idris Elba in a movie version of Cats to be directed by Tom Hooper. Later reports revealed that James Corden, Jason Derulo, Judi Dench, and Ian McKellen would appear in the movie as well. (For the ballet fans in the back: Robbie Fairchild, star of An American In Paris on Broadway, will also be in the movie.) Swift will be playing Bombalurina, a narrator-esque character who sings the songs "Macavity: The Mystery Cat" and "Grizabella: The Glamour Cat." Too good to be true? No! The year is 2019, and Tom Hooper is going to make all our unitard dreams come true.
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Hooper, who directed the 2014 film adaptation of Les Misérables, has some experience adapting musicals for film. Les Mis famously had actors singing live on set, instead of lip-synching to the recording, as is custom. The movie won Anne Hathaway an Oscar for her portrayal of Fantine, and it picked up a Best Picture nod along the way. All this to say: Cats could be the next Star is Born, and Swift may follow in Lady Gaga's footsteps.
Tuesday, A Star is Born garnered eight Oscar nominations, including two Best Actor nominations for its two leads. This is after ruthless Oscar campaigning and some very buzzy movie coverage — this is Bradley Cooper's directorial debut, and Lady Gaga's first film role. Plus, as in Les Mis, the actors sang live on set.
How does this route back to Cats? Well, Hooper's movies have won Oscars before. Cats was once the longest-running musical on Broadway. Weird as it is — there is little to no plot — Cats is one of the more alluring Broadway musicals to date. This is Swift's first movie in which her character will be singing. (Swift recorded the track "Today Was A Fairytale" for the 2010 film Valentine's Day.) Likely, she'll be singing live on set.
Come December 2019, Swift may be singing the "100 people in a room" tune.