Ahead of the 'Cats' trailer, that is releasing tomorrow, a behind-the-scenes first look of the film was unveiled by the makers. American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift features in the clip and showcases her best feline moves.
The first big-screen movie adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musical stars Swift, who plays Bombalurina, one of the principal cat characters. The movie also features Idris Elba, Rebel Wilson, Ian McKellen, James Corden, Jason Derulo, Francesca Hayward, Judi Dench and Jennifer Hudson, who plays Grizabella, who sings the hit ballad 'Memory', made famous by Barbra Streisand.
All the fans waiting for the highly-anticipated trailer were treated by the makers who shared behind-the-scenes footage. In the first look of the movie, the stars, including Swift, rehearse and showcase their dance moves behind the scenes. Swift takes part in group numbers and is also seen dancing with Elba, who plays villain cat Macavity.
The official Twitter handle of the upcoming musical posted the clip, writing, "Go behind the scenes for a first look at @catsmovie. Trailer this Friday. #CatsMovie."
"I came right off of a stadium tour and went right into rehearsals. People coming together through all different corners of entertainment and everybody's working really long hours, rehearsing every day, and it's fun," Swift can be seen saying in the video.
"I just was like, really excited and so honoured to get to be a part of this," she said.
Apart from showcasing Swift and Elba, the recently released footage also shows the other cast members including Hudson, Dench, Corden, Wilson, McKellen, and DeRulo engrossed in dance rehearsals. It also gives fans a sense of the production design of the film.
The behind-the-scenes video also offers a brief tease as to what the visual effects will look like for the film.
Elba also spoke about how he felt the pressure to do his best when he saw the calibre of talent and the huge sets for the film.
"When you see people that are at the top of their game doing it, you raise your bar as well. The scale of this film is huge, three or four times bigger for the cats perspective. This is a moment for you to step into a world that's completely designed to entertain you," Elba said in the clip.
Swift, a known cat lover, made her on-screen acting debut with a role in 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation' in 2009. She made her film acting debut a year later with a small part in 'Valentine's Day'. In 2012, she portrayed a character in the mated movie 'The Lorax' and in 2014, she had a small part in 'The Giver', reported E! News.
The pop star has also showcased her acting and dance skills in her several music videos.
In 'Cats', a tribe of Jellicle cats decide which of them will ascend to the Heaviside layer to be reborn and return to a new life. The 'Cat's show debuted in London in 1981 and later became a hit on Broadway as well.
'Cats', directed by Oscar winner Tom Hooper, is slated to release on December 20.
( With inputs from ANI )