Judi Dench "can't bear" the Cats movie and still hasn't seen it: "What a waste"

The almost-universally panned film adaptation of the Cats musical continues to make headlines years after its unfortunate screen debut, as Judi Dench has admitted she still hasn't watched it.

Dench, who plays a CGI'd Old Deuteronomy in the musical helmed by director Tom Hooper, reflected on Cats' negative reviews in her upcoming memoir, Is It Too Late to Make a Run For It?.

In the book, Dench said the adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage musical – in turn based on TS Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats – was a "waste" of talent (via The Independent).

"Oh God, I can't bear it – and [Lloyd Webber] had waited so long for it to be made," Dench said. "What a waste of all that goodwill and talent."

She continued: "I understand the critics were rather hostile to the film. I never saw the final cut so I can't judge. All I'll say is nobody sets out to give a poor performance or make a bad film. You do your best, offer something up and hope that people will get on board and join the party."

Dench also talked more generally about the arts landscape, saying that it's "a miracle that anything is ever made".

"Sometimes things just don't work out: the timing's wrong, the cast don't gel, the elements don’t coalesce. But people's intentions are mostly honourable," she added, saying that there were "no villains" in the making of Cats.

"And if something isn’t a success, then there are always things you can say you've learnt," she said.

This isn't the first time Dench has spoken about Cats, as she previously shared she'd only seen a picture of herself in character.

"No, I haven't seen it," she told BBC Radio 4's Front Row in 2020. "I didn't read anything about the response to it, nor have I seen it, and I've only seen a picture of myself."

Dench starred alongside James Corden, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson, Jason Derulo and Francesca Hayward.

Released in 2019, the film was co-written by Hooper with Lee Hall and currently has an appallingly low critic score of 19% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Judi Dench's Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It? is released on 22 October and is available for pre-order now.

Visit our Streaming Guide now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.

The new edition of Legends, a 100-page celebration of Dolly Parton's life, is here. Buy Dolly in newsagents or online.

Reporter, Digital Spy

Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy. 

Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).