‘Cats’ Saga Continues With Studio Sending New Version to Theaters

Cats (Universal Pictures)

After Cats was eaten alive by critics and declawed at the box office, Universal has taken an unusual step to try and salvage the film.

The studio notified theaters on Friday that a new version of the movie is on the way with “improved visual effects,” according to The Hollywood Reporter, which broke the story about the re-release.

THR called the move “unheard of” for a film already in theaters.

Related Story: ‘Cats’ Gets Mauled And Is Dead On Arrival At Box Office

Director Tom Hooper previously said the movie musical was finished just one day before its red carpet premiere earlier this month.

The $100 million film opened on Friday in 3,380 theaters across North America and grossed $6.5 million, far below expectations.

The film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical “Cats” was unable to overcome a series of troubles, including negative reviews and criticism from fans who said they were freaked out by the bizarre appearance of the cast.