Grumpy Cat, the 2013 Webby Award winner for Meme of the Year, has secured what many spend years struggling and failing to get: a movie deal. Last week, Hollywood production company Broken Road, the studio behind Paul Blart: Mall Cop and Adam Sandler’s Jack and Jill, announced that it has snapped up the option for this sourpuss breakout star.
Broken Road’s producers Todd Garner and Sean Robins have teamed up with non other than Grumpy Cat’s own agents to put a movie together. Yes, Grumpy Cat, whose real name is Tardar (Tartar) Sauce, has had such a strong social media presence that she has her own manager, Ben Lashes, and agent, Al Hassas. Lashes, a self pro-claimed “meme-manager” who also reps Keyboard Cat and Nyan Cat Lashes, reveals that the movie is set to be a “Garfield-like” tale in which Grumpy Cat has been granted the power of speech.
Grumpy Cat first appeared on Reddit in late September 2012 and was instantly met with photoshopped parodies and more than 25,300 up votes in the first 24 hours. According to Know Your Meme, the cat’s Imgur page gained nearly 1,030,000 views in the first 48 hours. And for you doubters who believe this to be nothing more than a quick fad, Grumpy Cat’s appearance last weekend at BookExpo America at the Javits Center ended up stealing the show. Despite a reputable list of celebrity guests including Jim Carrey and Ann Romney, Tardar Suace drew a line of hundreds with some fans waiting more than two hours. As manager Lashes argues, internet culture is no longer separated from the real world.
Leave a Comment