VIDEO: Jennifer Hudson Explains the Plot of CATS to Colbert on THE LATE SHOW

Jennifer Hudson stopped by THE LATE SHOW WITH Stephen Colbert to promote her film, Cats, which is out in theaters today!

During the interview, Colbert tells Hudson that he had her co-star, Idris Elba, on Colbert asked Elba the same question he's about to ask her, "Can you explain the plot of Cats?" Hudson replied, " Basically, you know how cats get a ninth life. They have a ball once a year and only one cat gets that ninth life. They get to display their talent, whatever that is, and try to earn the ninth life." Colbert tells her that its the best explanation of the film he's heard!

Colbert also brings up Hudson's other film, the Aretha Franklin biopic, and Hudson shared a story about her favorite photo with Aretha, "Here I am doing a tribute-- I did many tributes to her-- at the BET Honors-- and it was supposed to be a surprise. We're in rehearsal at the venue, and Aretha shouldn't have known anything about it, and all of a sudden she burst inside of the rehearsal space. And everybody stops like... Okay, Aretha's here. What do we do? We couldn't sing anything. Anyway, she sat down and she talked to me for a long time. And then she made while she was leaving and they said, "She's outside of the door listening."

Watch the full interview below!

Oscar®-winning director Tom Hooper (The King's Speech, Les Misérables, The Danish Girl) transforms Andrew Lloyd Webber's record-shattering stage musical into a breakthrough cinematic event.

Cats stars James Corden, Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson and introduces Royal Ballet principal dancer Francesca Hayward in her feature film debut.

Featuring Lloyd Webber's iconic music and a world-class cast of dancers under the guidance of Tony- winning choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton, In the Heights), the film reimagines the musical for a new generation with spectacular production design, state-of-the-art technology, and dance styles ranging from classical ballet to contemporary, hip-hop to jazz, street dance to tap.

Jennifer won the Academy Award, Golden Globe, and BAFTA Award for her performance as Effie White in Dreamgirls. Her breakout film performance also garnered a Screen Actors Guild Award and an NAACP Image Award. Additional film credits include Sex and the City, Secret Life of Bees, Winnie Mandela, The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete, and Black Nativity. Hudson will be seen next in the highly-anticipated film Cats and she is currently in production on the Aretha Franklin biopic, a film in which she was hand chosen by Franklin before she died to star in.

Photo: Scott Kowalchyk/CBS