Idris Elba Cast as Main Villain in “Cats” Adaptation

Idris Elba at Deadline Hollywood Presents THE CONTENDERS 2017
Idris Elba at Deadline Hollywood Presents THE CONTENDERS 2017. Photo by Michael Buckner/Deadline/REX/Shutterstock (9188866dx)

The star-studded movie adaptation of the smash hit Cats is coming to theaters near you next year, and its cast just got a little bit more amazing. Idris Elba is set to join the upcoming musical as the villainous cat Macavity.

Tom Hooper will serve as the director of this exciting project, originally created by Andrew Lloyd Webber. He already has a great track record adapting Broadway musicals to the big screen – his version of Les Misérables received dozens of coveted awards, including three Oscars.

The list of big-name talents who already joined his Cats adaptation includes Jennifer as Grizabella, Ian McKellen as Gus and Taylor Swift and James Corden in unspecified roles. Idris Elba is set to play Macavity, the Napoleon of Crime in the world of Cats. He’s the main antagonist of the tribe of fellow cats called the Jellicles, central characters of the film.

Before Cats hits theaters on December 20, 2019, Idris Elba will appear in Netflix comedy Turn Up Charlie and The Fast and the Furious spin-off Hobbs and Shaw.