Cats Don't Dance (live action/animated remake)

Cats Don't Dance is an American live action-animated, musical, romance, comedy film distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and produced by Warner Animation Group. It is a live-action and animated adaption of Warner Bro's 1997 animated film of the same title. The plot follows Danny traveling to Hollywood to become a famous star. The film stars Neil Patrick Harris, Scarlett Johansson, McKenna Grace, Reese Witherspoon, Patrick Stewart, J.K. Simmons, Alan Tudyk, Jennifer Saunders, Harrison Ford, Jacob Tremblay, Taron Egerton, Jack Black, David Bautista, while it stars other voice talents of Zac Efron, Seth MacFarlane, Charlie Day, Tori Kelly, and Nick Kroll.
It's 119 minutes. 2:09:37
== Synopsis ==
An optimistic orange tabby cat, Danny dreams of Hollywood stardom.
== Plot ==
Six-year old Darla Dimple is living in an orphanage after losing her parents in a car accident. She dreams of one day becoming a Hollywood movie star, but is bullied by the other orphans. This leaves her a mean and spoiled brat who will stop at nothing to get her way. One night, she sings about having fame and fortune and claims she will achieve it at all costs. Years later, she is now working in Hollywood as a popular child actress and has a valet named Max. Meanwhile in Kokomo, Indiana, an optimistic cat named Danny travels to Hollywood in hopes of starting an acting career there. After meeting a young penguin named Pudge, Danny is selected by agent Farley Wink to feature in a film that is in production at Mammoth Pictures called Lil' Ark Angel, alongside Wink's secretary, a beautiful yet cynical female white cat named Sawyer. Upon joining fellow animals: Tillie the hippo, Cranston the goat, Frances the fish, T.W the turtle, Big Al the alligator, Alexander the lion, Maury the electric eel, Lillian the sheep, and Harry the hummingbird, Danny is dismayed on learning how minor his role is and tries weaseling his way into more time in the spotlight. Danny unwittingly angers Darla; she promptly has Max intimidate Danny against further attempts to enlarge his part.
Danny learns from the studio's mascot Woolie the elephant that human actors are normally given more important roles than animals, whereas animals themselves end up getting minor and often thankless roles to the point of having little to no leverage in show business. The next day, Danny reminds the other animals of their past aspirations by instigating a mass musical performance in an alleyway, which draws Darla's attention. Overhearing Danny's intention to make an appeal to Mammoth Pictures head L.B. Mammoth, Darla invites Danny to her mansion and grants him and the animals full use of the Li'l Ark Angel stage on the day of a press conference held by Mammoth, on the condition that Danny not reveal her involvement in this ostensibly charitable act. Danny happily accepts the offer, unaware that Darla is secretly setting the animals up for failure to prevent them from stealing her spotlight. As the animals prepare their performance on the ark, Darla and Max create a catastrophic flood that washes through Hollywood, for which Mammoth blames and dismisses the animals. When the satisfied Darla arrives to thank Danny, he is admonished for his naivety and advised by Woolie to return to Kokomo.
That night, Sawyer takes to heart Danny's attempts to keep the animals' dreams alive and tries catching him at the bus stop, but narrowly misses him. However, after a comment from the bus driver and seeing Pudge wander the streets, Danny stops the bus and secretly invites Sawyer, Woolie, Tillie, Cranston, Frances, T.W., Big Al, Alexander, Maury, Lillian, and Harry to the Lil' Ark Angel premiere. After the screening and a battle with Max that sends Max flying away on a Darla Dimple balloon, Danny calls the audience's attention, only to be mocked by Darla. However, Sawyer brings the others backstage to help Danny and Pudge. After Danny convinces them not to give up on their dreams no matter what the humans have said or done, the eight animals put on a musical performance that entertains and impresses the viewers. Meanwhile, Darla's attempts to sabotage the performance drastically enhance it, bringing about a standing ovation upon its end. A frustrated Darla admits responsibility for the flood, inadvertently exposing herself to the public and Mammoth in the process. Darla tries hiding her true colors, but Pudge pulls a lever, which causes her to fall down a trapdoor. Danny and Sawyer admit their feelings for each other. The animals achieve their dreams for larger roles.
== Cast and Characters ==
==== Live Action Cast ====
* Mckenna Grace as Darleen "Darla" Dimple, the main antagonist of the film.Darla was recently orphaned after losing her parents to a car accident. She has always dreamed of fame and fortune, but was bullied by the other orphans, making her evil and spoiled. Years later, she became a child star in Hollywood that conceals her anger, short-tempered, psychotic and sinister nature from her fans and superiors through a façade of sweetness and innocence, and is willing to prevent the animals from stealing her spotlight. She is referred to as "America's sweetheart, lover of children and animals!"
* J.K. Simmons as L.B. Mammoth, the founder and head of Mammoth Pictures.
* Alan Tudyk as Flanagan, the film director of the next upcoming Darla Dimple featured film, "Noah's Lil' Ark Angel". He is always kissing up to both Darla and Mr. Mammoth.
* Jack Black as Farley Wink, an agent for animals and Sawyer's secretary.
==== Voice Cast ====
* Neil Patrick Harris as Danny, the main protagonist.Danny is an ambitious, optimistically naive orange tabby that is very talented of song and dance. He left his hometown of Kokomo, Indiana and travelled to Hollywood to become a great movie star.
* Scarlett Johansson as Sawyer, the deuteragonist and the love interest of Danny.Sawyer is a beautiful yet disenchanted cynically sarcastic white long-haired Persian/Siamese mix cat secretary of Farley Wink at the Animal Agency where she works. Sawyer meets Danny due to his inadvertent act of knocking her in the fountain, she doesn't seem to like him at first. Over time though, Danny manages to rekindle her passion for performing through his relentless optimism.
* Jacob Tremblay as Peabo "Pudge" Pudgemyer, a young penguin that becomes Danny's first friend.
* Reese Witherspoon as Tillie Hippo, a happy-go-lucky hippopotamus and a friend of Sawyer. Tillie is very hilarious as hinted out of her giggling and snorting.
* Patrick Stewart as Woolie Mammoth, an African elephant who portrays the mascot for Mammoth Pictures that is actually a great pianist. He originally came to Hollywood to write music for the motion pictures where he acts as a mentor to Danny upon befriending him. Woolie is parody of Leo the Lion, the mascot of MGM, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.
* Taron Egerton as T.W. Turtle, a nervous and superstitious turtle who always relies on fortune cookie fortunes. He originally came to Hollywood hoping to be an Errol Flynn-type star.
* Jennifer Saunders as Frances Albacore, a sassy, rude fish who dances with Cranston Goat.
* Harrison Ford as Cranston Goat, a cranky elderly goat who surprisingly loves to dance and tango. He is always seen with Frances, and they always dance with each other, implying they have feelings towards each other.
* Zac Efron as Big Al Gator, an American alligator who is a jazz singer.
* Seth MacFarlane as Alexander Leon, an African lion that is a street singer with a strong Frank Sinatra-esque voice.
* Charlie Day as Maury Sparx, an electric eel that works as an electrician in Hollywood. Maury has uncontrollable electricity that gives him a habit of accidently zapping anyone he touches by shaking hands with.
* Tori Kelly as Lillian Lamb, a domestic sheep who is looking for a movie to star in that does not have too much violence.
* Nick Kroll as Harry Humdinger, a hummingbird who is a tenor singer.
* David Bautista as Max, the secondary antagonist.Darla's colossal 36 ft. manservant, valet and butler, as well as her legal guardian. Max obeys Darla's every command and will not hesitate to punish anyone who crosses her. He serves as the direct physical force that Darla physically lacks as a child.
Additional voices are provided by Tom Kenny, John DiMaggio, Jeff Bennett, Grey Griffin, Dee Bradly Baker, Jim Cummings, Fred Tatasciore, Tara Strong, Chris Edgerly, Jess Harnell, Phil LaMarr, Eric Bauza, Cree Summer, Mia Whitman, Kazumi Evans, Vincent Gale, Laura Bailey, Travis Willingham, Nolan North, Yuri Lowenthal, Robbie Daymond, Kim Mai Guest, Saffron Henderson, Troy Baker, James Arnold Taylor, Jim Ward and Frank Welker.
== Production ==
=== Development ===
=== Animation ===
Animation services will be provided by Framestore, who hired 3D animators with a passion for 2D animation for the project. The strategy the animators used was to base the animation off a stylized 3D/CGI VFX modeling medium through a vintage 2D finish by creating innovative rigging, animation techniques used to create 2D animation, and custom tools such as lighting and rendering, resulting in the film's 3D/CGI animation maintaining the look, feel, and spirit of 2D animation, in the veins of the original classic shorts in the 1940s and 1950s. The original character designs of Cats Don't Dance will be rendered from traditional 2D animation to full-blown CGI animation, similar to the Looney Tunes from Space Jam: A New Legacy.
=== Casting ===
== Soundtrack ==
Song 	Credits	Performed by 	Character 
Performance by 	Length
"Easy Street" (new Original) 	 	McKenna Grace, Chorus 	Darla Dimple, Orphans 	3:21
"Our Time Has Come" 	 	Chorus 	 	
"Danny's Arrival Song" 	 	Neil Patrick Harris 	Danny 	3:44
"Little Boat on the Sea" 	 	McKenna Grace 	Darla Dimple 	2:21
"Animals Are People" (new Original) 	 	Patrick Stewart, Neil Patrick Harris, Jacob Tremblay 	Woolie Mammoth, Danny, Pudge 	
"Animal Jam" 	 	Neil Patrick Harris, Seth MacFarlane, Charlie Day, Chorus 	Danny, Alexander, Maury, Animals 	5:06
"Fishy Love" (new Original) 	 	Harrison Ford, Jennifer Saunders 	Cranston, Frances 	
"Big and Loud" 	 	McKenna Grace 	Darla Dimple 	
"Shirley Temple Medley" (new Original)	 	McKenna Grace, David Bautista, Neil Patrick Harris, Chorus 	Darla Dimple, Max, Danny 	
"Big and Loud (Reprise)" 	 	McKenna Grace 	Darla Dimple 	
"Tell me Lies" 	 	Scarlet Johannsson 	Sawyer 	
"Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" 	 	Neil Patrick Harris, Scarlett Johannsson, Jacob Tremblay, Patrick Stewart, Reese Witherspoon, Harrison Ford, Jennifer Saunders, Taron Egerton, Zac Efron, Seth MacFarlane, Charlie Day, Tori Kelly, Nick Kroll	Danny, Sawyer, Pudge, Woolie, Tillie, Cranston, Frances, T.W., Big Al, Alexander, Maury, Lillian, Harry	4:48
== Trivia ==
*The remake is longer than the original.
*While Disney did most of its own live action remakes, this is the first Warner Bros. film to make a live action remake of its own cartoon.
*In the original the audience didn't boo Darla Dimple, but in this one they did boo her when she exposes her true colors.
** Also in the original, the other animals who were fired from Mammoth Pictures were last seen jobless and poor when the bus driver commented on them having no future, but in this version, they were seen again surrounding Darla (after falling from the trap door only to land in a dumpster), angry and going to beat her up for revenge after what she did to them.
*Flanagan in this adaption is less of a comic relief than in the original.
*Randy Newman only composed the songs while Steve Goldstein composed the music in the original film, here Newman does both.
*In this film, Darla Dimple is given a tragic backstory:
**At the beginning of the film, Darla is living in an orphanage after her parents died in a car accident. She dreams of becoming a movie star, but is bullied by the other orphans, making her the main antagonist. Years later, she has moved to Hollywood with Max as her valet and starring in movies.
*Songs during "Shirley Temple Medley":
**"On Account of I Love You" (Baby Take a Bow)
**"On the Good Ship Lollipop" (Bright Eyes)
**"Animal Crackers in My Soup" (Curly Top)
**"At the Codfish Ball" (Captain January)
**"You've Gotta Eat Your Spinach, Baby" (Poor Little Rich Girl)
**"He Was a Dandy" (Dimples)
**"You've Got to Smile" (Stowaway)
**"In Our Little Wooden Shoes" (Heidi)
**"An Old Straw Hat" (Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm)
**"I Love to Walk in the Rain" (Just Around the Corner)
*The original film was rated G, but this film is rated PG for mild action, thematic elements, and frightening images.
Category:Cats Don't Dance
Category:Warner Bros. Pictures
Category:Live-action/animation
Category:Musical
Category:Comedy-Drama
Category:Fantasy
Category:Warner Animation Group
Category:Animals
Category:Musical Films
Category:Warner Bros. films
Category:Family
Category:PG
Category:Entertainment
Category:Warner Bros. Family Entertainment