Judi Dench Joins Star-Studded Cast of 'Cats' Movie Musical!

Judi Dench has joined the cast of the highly-anticipated Cats!

The 83-year-old Oscar-winning actress will be playing the role of Old Deuteronomy – who was played by a man in previous stage versions – the Jellicle leader “who by the end of the night will select a cat to be reborn into a new life on the Heaviside Layer, an annual feline tradition,” Deadline reports.

Fun fact: Judi was originally set to play Grizabella in the original 1981 West End production of Cats, but had to drop out after snapping her Achilles’ tendon.

Judi joins a star-studded cast that also includes Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, James Corden, Laurie Davidson, and Idris Elba.

Tom Hooper, the Oscar-winning director of The King’s Speech and Les Miserables, is helming the movie.