The Talking Kitty Cat Movie

The Talking Kitty Cat Movie is a 2021 live-action/computer-animated action-crime comedy film directed by Pat Casey, Josh Miller, F. Gary Gray and James Cameron, produced by Chris Morgan, Celia DeCosta Cash (in her feature production debut) and James Cameron and executive-produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller based on a screenplay by Chris Morgan. The film is written by Neal H. Moritz, Steve Cash, Celia DeCosta Cash and James Cameron and is based on the YouTube series by Steve Cash.

The film stars Mark Hamill, Chris Evans, Kristen Bell, and Melissa McCarthy, and features the voices of Tom Holland, Kate McKinnon, John Mulaney, Emma Stone, and Awkwafina. In the film, Sylvester gets catnapped by an evil, wealthy and cunning businessman named Dr. Purrfect, which leaves Steve and Celia DeCosta worried for their cat. They later enlist the help of a street-smart alley cat named Whiskers and a quirky animal behaviorist named Dr. Meow. A co-production between the United States and New Zealand, the film was produced by Lightstorm Entertainment, TSG Entertainment, Bron Creative, Original Film, and Talking Kitty Cat, LLC, with Rhythm & Hues Studios and Wētā FX providing animation, motion capture and visual effects services.

The Talking Kitty Cat Movie premiered on January 26, 2021 at the Dolby Theater and was theatrically released on January 29 in the United States by 20th Century Studios in 2D, 3D, RealD 3D, 4DX, Dolby Cinema and IMAX formats. The film received positive reviews from critics, with critics praising its animation, humor, plot, visual effects, soundtrack and musical score by Hans Zimmer.

It was a box office success, grossing $780.3 million against its $120 million production budget, quickly taking the number 1 spot as the highest-grossing live-action/animated film of all time after The Smurfs (2011). The success of the film spawned a series, ''[https://tv-ideas.fandom.com/wiki/Talking_Kitty_Cat:_Animated! Talking Kitty Cat: Animated!]'', that aired on March 18, 2021. A sequel with the working title The Talking Kitty Cat Movie 2: The Abduction of Shelby, was released on February 17, 2023, and a third film, The Talking Kitty Cat Movie 3: The Last of Sylvester, is in development with a planned release date of April 25, 2025.

Plot
The story begins with Sylvester living a peaceful life in his owner's home, blissfully unaware of the danger that is lurking outside. One day, a notorious gang of catnappers led by the evil Dr. Purrfect, a wealthy and cunning businessman, decides to target Sylvester for his unique talking ability, which he believes will make him a valuable asset in his criminal empire.

Sylvester's co-owner, a kind-hearted woman named Celia DeCosta, who just so happened to be Steve's wife, is horrified when she discovers that her beloved pet has been kidnapped. Determined to get him back, she turns to her husband, a big-hearted, tough and resourceful police officer named Steve, for help. Together, they embark on a dangerous mission to rescue Sylvester from the clutches of Dr. Purrfect and his gang.

As Steve and Celia search for Sylvester, they encounter a colorful cast of characters, including a street-smart alley cat named Whiskers, a quirky animal behaviorist named Dr. Meow, and a group of bumbling criminals who are inadvertently drawn into the chaos. Along the way, they face numerous obstacles and challenges, from daring heists to epic car chases.

As the action unfolds, Sylvester must use his wit and cunning to outsmart Dr. Purrfect and his gang and escape from their clutches. With the help of his new friends, he sets in motion a daring plan to take down the evil catnappers and bring them to justice. As Steve and Celia delve deeper into their mission to rescue Sylvester, they discover that Dr. Purrfect's plan goes far beyond just kidnapping a talking cat. His ultimate goal is to create an army of genetically modified animals that he can control and use for his own personal gain.

In their quest to stop Dr. Purrfect, Steve and Celia must team up with Dr. Meow, an eccentric animal behaviorist who has been studying the effects of genetic modification on animals. Together, they devise a plan to infiltrate Dr. Purrfect's secret lab and put an end to his nefarious plans once and for all. Meanwhile, Sylvester is being held captive in Dr. Purrfect's lab, where he discovers that he is not the only talking animal being held against his will. He starts having flashbacks about when he was back home, fearing he may never be able to see Steve, Celia, or his siblings again, even Shelby.

Dr. Purrfect befriends a group of animals who have been subjected to the same genetic modification experiments, including a parrot who can sing like a pop star and a dog who can run at lightning speeds. Together, they hatch a plan to escape from the lab and join forces with Steve and Celia to take down Dr. Purrfect.

As the action reaches its climax, Steve, Celia, and their animal allies engage in a thrilling battle against Dr. Purrfect and his army of genetically modified animals. With the fate of the animal kingdom at stake, they must use all of their wit and cunning to emerge victorious and bring peace back to their world. In the end, Sylvester returns to Steve and Celia's home, where he is reunited with his owner and his furry siblings and Shelby. The adventure has taught them all the true value of friendship, loyalty, and the importance of standing up for what is right.

Live-action cast

 * Mark Hamill as Dr. Purrfect - an evil, wealthy and cunning businessman and the main antagonist of the film
 * Chris Evans as Steven Carl "Steve" Cash - a big-hearted, tough and resourceful police officer, who works with the Nampa Police Department and is the husband of Celia, who helps her rescue Sylvester
 * Kristen Bell as Celia DeCosta Cash - a kind-hearted woman and the wife of Steve Cash who is determined to rescue Sylvester amidst the grasp of Dr. Purrfect
 * John Malkovich as Chief Michael - the chief of the Nampa Police Department
 * Diego Luna as Officer Cruz - a police officer at the Nampa police Department
 * Bryce Dallas Howard as Maria - Dr. Purrfect's assistant
 * Terry Crews as Evan - Dr. Purrfect's bodyguard
 * Natasha Lyonne as Jessica - an animal behaviorist assistant
 * John Goodman as Mike - an officer for the Animal Control unit of the Nampa Police Department
 * Ellen Page as an animal rights activist

Voice cast

 * Tom Holland as Sylvester - a Bombay-breed talking cat and the main protagonist of the film
 * Justin Long as Gibson - a Lynx point Ragdoll-breed grey cat and the second cat owned by Steve and Celia, after Sylvester; he was shown in a flashback when Sylvester was remembering every moment he had with Steve and his family
 * Kate McKinnon as Random Kitty - a domestic short hair-breed white-grey cat and the third cat owned by Steve and Celia, after Gibson; she has a hatred for Sylvester, though shows some appreciation when Sylvester has to own up to his actions around her
 * John Mulaney as Gibbyson - a guest cat-breed grey cat and one of the five Random Gibsons, which Random Kitty kept as her kitten, despite Steve telling her it would get them kicked out of their previous home
 * Hailee Steinfeld as Isabelle "Izzy" - a black-brownish kitten who is the kitten of Steve's unnamed mother; she, like Gibson, made an appearance in Sylvester's flashback
 * Emma Stone as Shelby - a black Labrador-breed female dog who is the only dog owned by Steve and Celia, who is afraid of Sylvester, though still shows a bond in other scenes of the film
 * Awkwafina as Whiskers - a York Chocolate-breed street-smart alley cat who helps Steve and Celia to find and rescue Sylvester from the grasp of Dr. Purrfect
 * Melissa McCarthy as Dr. Meow - a Scottish Fold-breed quirky animal behaviorist cat who helps Steve and Celia find and rescue Sylvester from the grasp of Dr. Purrfect

Development
TBA

Visual effects and animation
Visual effects and animation were produced by Rhythm & Hues Studios. It was Rhythm & Hues’ last subsequent film to be produces before their operations ceased and later rebranded to Rhythm & Hues Entertainment in February 2021. The animation was made as hyper-realistic computer-animation, like the live action Alvin and the Chipmunks films. Blur Studio assisted with visual effects, along with New Zealand-based visual effects company Wētā FX. Wētā provided motion capture performances from Tom Holland, Justin Long, Kate McKinnon, John Mulaney, Hailee Steinfeld, Emma Stone, Emma Stone, Awkwafina, Melissa McCarthy,

Music
"Main article: The Talking Kitty Cat Movie (soundtrack)" The Talking Kitty Cat Movie 's score was composed by film composer Hans Zimmer. The score's album was released through Interscope Records on January 24, 2021.

Steve's featured song, The Mean(er) Kitty Song, was a remake of The Mean Kitty Song by SMP Films.

The Talking Kitty Cat Movie Score
All music is composed by Hans Zimmer.

Release
The Talking Kitty Cat Movie had many early test screenings before premiering at the Dolby Theater on January 26, 2021. It was later theatrically released worldwide on January 29, 2021 by 20th Century Studios. The film was rated R by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) for strong violence, blood, mild alcohol references, mild drug use, strong language and brief nudity.

Home media
The Talking Kitty Cat Movie was released on DVD, Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D on May 21, 2021. Its sales produced around $274.5 million, with $57 million being produced in DVD sales, $125.1 million in Blu-ray sales, $50.3 million in 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray sales and $42.5 million in Blu-ray 3D sales. The film was later released on Disney+ for digital streaming. The DVD and Blu-ray releases of the film contained behind-the-scenes footage, casting sessions with Tom Holland, Justin Long and Kate McKinnon, and much more.

Box office
The Talking Kitty Cat Movie opened with 4,500 screens in approximately 3,485 theatres. Specialized in IMAX 3D, RealD 3D and Dolby Cinema formats, the film was released on January 29, 2021 in the United States and other territories by 20th Century Studios. Its estimated projections for both the United States and other territories was around $30-45 million. It grossed $29.1 million in its opening weekend in the United States and grossed $32.8 million through other territorial theatres, shattering box office expectations. In its opening week, the film made over $87.3 million in the United States and Canada and over $102.8 million in other territorial theatres, hitting #2 at the domestic box office and #1 at the overseas box office. The film proceeded to break numerous COVID-19 pandemic box office records, and estimated projections were around $50-65 million. In its second opening weekend, the film projected $89.3 million in the United States and $103.2 million in other territories. Box office projections continued throughout 2021, until August. Projections finished on August 19, 2021 and the film grossed a total of $257.3 in the United States and Canada and $523.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $780.3 million. It broke several pandemic records, quickly becoming the fourth highest-grossing film of 2021, and dethroned The Smurfs (2011) as the highest-grossing live-action/animated film of all time.

Critical response
Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports an approval rating of 92% based on reviews from 128 critics, with an average rating of 8.15/10. Its critical consensus reads, "As a tribute to such a legendary YouTuber and a story so well written, with well-performed lines by Tom Holland as the main black cat, The Talking Kitty Cat Movie is visually an action-packed gem of a film, with some crime bits sprinkled here and there." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 83 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences polled by CinemaScore assigns the film a rare grade of "A+" on its A+ to F scale, while PostTrak says 91% of filmgoers gave the film an overall positive review, with 83% of audiences saying they would definitely recommend it.

Odie Henderson of RogerEbert.com gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, writing that The Talking Kitty Cat Movie was a "visually appealing masterpiece", and says that "the tribute to Steve Cash and his cat, Sylvester, is perfect". While he praised its CGI animation as "astounding", its visual effects as "out of this world", its musical score as "dramatically fantastic" and its plot as "coherent", he criticized the runtime.

Todd McCarthy of Variety praised the film's animation and visual effects as "possibly the best animation a live-action film has ever witnessed", and wrote that the plot was "by far the single greatest thing about the whole film. The plot just works perfectly".

The late Steve Cash's wife, Celia DeCosta Cash, praised the film and says that if "[she] were to have my husband back, [she] would show him the movie, and he would love it to bits". She praised the animation, and gave massive praise to Rhythm & Hues Studios, saying that "R&H blew my mind right out of the water with their animation. It's so on point to the animals that it's unreal."

Trivia

 * It is the first Talking Kitty Cat production to be produced by 20th Century Studios.
 * The film was dedicated to Steve Cash and Sylvester Cash, who both died in 2020.
 * It is a film that Celia DeCosta Cash, Steve's wife, reviewed and praised.
 * Celia DeCosta Cash produced the film with Chris Morgan.