Tom Hooper to Direct Big Screen Adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's CATS?

As BWW recently announced, Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic musical Cats will be making its return to Broadway this summer at the Neil Simon Theatre, with preview performances beginning July 14, and an official opening set for August 2, 2016. But is the feline fantasy also heading to the big screen?

According to UK's The Sun, Universal Studios, which owns the rights, is finally ready to begin work on a movie adaptation. The site reports that LES MISERABLES film director Tom Hooper is in talks to direct, teaming once again with production company Working Title. In addition, sources close to the director reveal that he would like to cast model-turned-actresses Suki Waterhouse in the film.

Says a source, "Cats is one of theatreland's most-loved shows and Universal always knew a film version would capture the public's imagination. They have been patient with the project, waiting to bring in the right people. Tom has form for adapting musicals for the big screen and is the ideal choice. If negotiations go to plan, filming could start as early as this year."

Hooper's big screen adaptation of LES MISERABLES was a box office smash and went on to win three Oscars and was nominated for five others, including Best Picture - proof that movie audiences are willing to shell out big bucks to see musical theater in the cinema.

And what are Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's thoughts on the project? According to The Sun, the famed composer was always enamored with the idea of bringing the show, based on the poetry of T.S. Eliot, to the big screen. However he does have some trepidation that audiences may have trouble accepting actors dressed up as Cats. Speaking on the 1981 ground-breaking stage musical, Lloyd Webber revealed, "We never knew whether the public was going to love Cats until the moment we saw a cat go on stage. It could have been the most terrible moment in musical theatre. I remember sitting backstage waiting for the response. Somehow we got away with it."

CATS was recently staged at the London Palladium for a limited 12-week run. The production starred former Pussycat Doll singer Nicole Scherzinger in the role of Grizabella. No word yet on whether Scherzinger will return for the movie project.

Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and based on T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats," the original Broadway production opened in 1982 at Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre, where it ran for 7,485 performances and 18 years. Cats was originally produced on Broadway by Cameron Mackintosh, The Really Useful Company Limited, David Geffen, and The Shubert Organization.

The creative team for the new Broadway production of Cats includes Mick Potter (Sound Design), Natasha Katz(Lighting Design), John Napier (Scenic & Costume Design), choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, based on the original choreography and associate direction by Gillian Lynne, and direction by Trevor Nunn.

Since its world premiere, Cats has been presented in over 30 countries, has been translated into 15 languages, and has been seen by more than 73 million people worldwide. Originally directed by Trevor Nunn with choreography and associate direction by Gillian Lynne, scenic and costume design by John Napier, lighting design by David Hersey, and sound design by Martin Levan, Cats opened in the West End in 1981. The same creative team brought the musical to Broadway in 1982 where it won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Both the original London and Broadway cast recordings won Grammy Awards for Best Cast Album. Cats hit song "Memory" has been recorded by over 150 artists from Barbra Streisand and Johnny Mathis to Liberace and Barry Manilow. The Tony Award-winning Best Musical held the title of longest-running musical in Broadway history until it was surpassed in 2006 by Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. The original Broadway production closed on September 10, 2000 and is currently the fourth longest-running show in Broadway history. This marks the first New York revival of the beloved musical.