Judi Dench calls Cats film a waste of talent in memoir

Judi Dench has called Tom Hooper's 2019 film Cats "a waste of all that goodwill and talent." The line comes from her forthcoming memoir, Is It Too Late to Make a Run For It?, as reported by Variety on Oct. 20, 2026.

Dench played Old Deuteronomy in the film, a screen version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical theatre show of the same name. The cast also included James Corden, Idris Elba and Taylor Swift, according to the same report. The book reaches shelves on Nov. 3.

In the memoir, Dench writes that Lloyd Webber had waited so long for a film of Cats to be made. That long wait frames her disappointment. Her phrase is blunt. It wasted the effort around it.

Dench also writes that she never saw the final cut of the film. She never watched it.

She said she understands critics were rather hostile to the film, in remarks reported by The Independent. Speaking separately, she said of the film: "Oh God, I can't bear it," according to Yahoo News. The comments were made ahead of publication.

Her performance as Old Deuteronomy drew a Razzie nomination, the awards that single out the year's worst screen work. She had earlier told Vogue she was not pleased at how her character looked in early photos, according to Mashable. She does not claim to judge the finished film from viewing it.

The memoir was written with Brendan O'Hea and is described by publisher Macmillan as a tour of Dench's life and career. Dench, an Oscar winner, traces that career across stage and screen, according to Playbill.

What makes this stand out is the tone. It is regret rather than defence. A central cast member is saying a long-planned adaptation did not repay the patience behind it.