According to a new report from The Guardian, Cats film production has reached nearly $300 million, estimated at around $297 million though that has yet to be fully confirmed. Usually the official numbers come out around the film’s release but, for Universal, Cats would have cost a pretty penny to make. Despite the rumored big numbers, the film still hasn’t beat out 2011’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which came out to a whopping $378.5 million.
What might be troubling however, is the huge risk Universal has taken by pouring so much money into this film for its December release. Cats will go head to head with Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, which will definitely carry its own weight in the box office battle. Although the well-renown play is a successful property within the musical realm, it still hasn’t made the impact Universal hoped for with the general public.
Not all seems bleak for Cats, however, as Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle opened at the same time as Star Wars: The Last Jedi two years ago and became a surprising hit with viewers. If all else fails, Cats’ cast ensemble could still draw in a good crowd.
Cats is directed by Tom Hooper and will open in theaters on December 20.
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