Stuart C. Wilson / Getty Images for BFI

Judi Dench is sharing her honest thoughts on the critically panned 2019 film Cats, an adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s very successful musical of the same name.

The 91-year-old Oscar winner played Old Deuteronomy in the movie from director Tom Hooper. It featured a stacked cast of stars like Idris Elba, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson, and more, but was still ultimately considered a critical and commercial failure.

“Oh God, I can’t bear it – and [Lloyd Webber] had waited so long for it to be made,” she wrote in her upcoming memoir Is It Too Late to Make a Run For It? via Variety.

Judi continued, “What a waste of all that goodwill and talent. I understand the critics were rather hostile to the film. I never saw the final cut so I can’t judge. All I’ll say is nobody sets out to give a poor performance or make a bad film. You do your best, offer something up and hope that people will get on board and join the party.” 

The James Bond star went on to say it is a “miracle that anything is ever made,” including movies, plays, and television, “let alone turn out to be a success, because there are so many moving parts,” she said.

“Sometimes things just don’t work out: the timing’s wrong, the cast don’t gel, the elements don’t coalesce,” she said. “But people’s intentions are mostly honorable. There were no villains in the making of Cats. And if something isn’t a success, then there are always things you can say you’ve learnt.”

Judi‘s memoir will be released on November 3, 2026.

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