Picture, just for a moment, a world where the upcomingCatsmovie looks normal. A world where respected directorTom Hoopertook the respected Broadway musical byAndrew Lloyd Webberand made a completely respectable adaptation. Perhaps by using similar prosthetics to the stage, perhaps with a “stripped down” aesthetic, perhaps fully animated. Seems nice, right? Instead, we live in “reality,” and in “reality,” theCatsmovie looksutterly insaneand starJason Derulohas to talk about how they airbrushed his penis out of the final product andnone of this is a typo!
Appearing onAndy Cohen’s SiriusXM showRadio Andy, Derulo, an R&B star whose 2015 albumEverything Is 4is a slept on classic, got into the nitty-gritty about his CGI-addled cat’s appendage – or lack thereof. Cohen, pointing out that Derulo performed his scenes wearing tight tights, asked politely how the filmmakers dealt with it. Derulo responded bluntly, saying they “CGI’d the dick out.” Mr. Cohen, who has made a living out of listening to celebrities share strange stories, was shook. “You think that they airbrushed your penis out of theCats–” he began to ask. Derulo interrupted with cold, hard math: “125 percent. I could see it in the trailer, for sure.” Although later, he lowered his estimate down to 120 percent when asked to further clarify, so, like, get your dickless story straight, Derulo!
Apparently, while shooting, Derulo and his co-stars were very aware of how his “package” was looking: “Rebel Wilsonwas talking about on a show we were on. She was like… ‘I was aroundthatfor four months, I know exactly…” And buster – you better believe the “that” refers to, as Derulo put it, his “anaconda.” While Derulo ultimately asserts the CGI was done to “make it as cat-like as possible,” he also things it could’ve been a new spin on Rum Tum Tugger. I mean, ifWatchmenis hanging freaky CG dong, why notCats, too?How is this reality?!
Catshisses into theatres, sans penis, December 20. Listen to the full interview with Derulo and Cohen below. For more on this very strange film, check out the wild, wildtrailer, and then thedirectorandproducers’ response to all the wild, wild backlash.
