Universal Strikes Cats From Awards Consideration Page

Universal is pulling the plug on their award hopes for Cats, pulling the critically-drubbed film from its “For Your Consideration” website. Variety reports that the studio removed the Andrew Lloyd Webber adaptation from their FYC page following its disastrous opening weekend, in which it tallied just $6.6 million amidst widespread critical and moviegoer rejection.

Removing the film from the website is mostly just a formality at this point, as no one had it in any real chance for an Oscar nominee. The one category it had much of a chance in, Best Original Song, passed the Taylor Swift-penned original “Beautiful Ghosts” from its ten-song shortlist, leaving the film almost certainly completely out in the cold. (The song did earn a Golden Globes nod.)

Cats is expected to lose upward of $100 million or more thanks to a $90 million budget plus a heavy marketing spend, combined with a low box office gross.