The widely panned movie musical Cats and four of its stars were nominated on Saturday, February 8, for Razzie awards, an annual rite that lampoons the worst of cinema.
James Corden, Judi Dench, Rebel Wilson and ballerina Francesca Hayward received Razzie acting nominations for their Cats roles, in which they were costumed in digitally created fur. Oscar winner Dench was singled out for "looking suspiciously similar to The Cowardly Lion from Wizard of Oz," organisers said in a statement announcing this year's nominees.
Overall, Cats was given eight Razzie nominations, tying for the lead with Tyler Perry's A Madea Family Funeral, and Sylvester Stallone's Rambo: Last Blood. All three movies are in the running for worst picture, alongside psychological thriller The Fanatic and horror flick The Haunting of Sharon Tate.
Cats, an adaptation of the popular Broadway musical of the same name, was released in December and drew widespread ridicule from film critics. The $95 million (Dh348.8m) production flopped at the box office, taking only $69.7 million at cinemas worldwide, reported Box Office Mojo.
The tongue-in-cheek Razzies, created in 1980, serve as an antidote to Hollywood's glitzy Academy Awards ceremony. Nominees were announced a day before the bestowing of the Oscars, the highest honours in the movie industry.
John Travolta received two Razzie nominations this year for The Fanatic and Trading Paint, as did Anne Hathaway for The Hustle and Serenity. Her Serenity co-star Matthew McConaughey also was named.
The worst screen combo category piled on Cats with a nomination for "any two half-feline/half-human hairballs."
It was not all bad news. Eddie Murphy was nominated for the Razzie Redeemer Reward for his role in Dolemite is My Name, along with Jennifer Lopez in Hustlers and Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems. The redeemer award goes to a past Razzie nominee or winner who has since earned acclaim.
Razzie nominees and winners are voted for online by about 1,000 Razzie members from more than two dozen countries, who sign up online and pay a $40 membership fee.
Organisers have not unveiled a date for the announcement of the winners.
Here’s a complete list of all the nominations:
Worst Picture
Cats
The Fanatic
The Haunting of Sharon Tate
A Madea Family Funeral
Rambo: Last Blood
Worst Actor
James Franco, Zeroville
David Harbour, Hellboy
Matthew McConaughey, Serenity
Sylvester Stallone, Rambo: Last Blood
John Travolta, The Fanatic, Trading Paint
Worst Actress
Hilary Duff, The Haunting of Sharon Tate
Anne Hathaway, The Hustle, Serenity
Francesca Hayward, Cats
Tyler Perry (as Madea), A Madea Family Funeral
Rebel Wilson, The Hustle
Worst Supporting Actor
James Corden, Cats
Tyler Perry, A Madea Family Funeral (as "Joe")
Tyler Perry, A Madea Family Funeral (as "Uncle Heathrow")
Seth Rogen, Zeroville
Bruce Willis, Glass
Worst Supporting Actress
Jessica Chastain, Dark Phoenix
Cassi Davis, A Madea Family Funeral
Judi Dench, Cats
Fenessa Pineda, Rambo: Last Blood
Rebel Wilson, Cats
Worst Screen Combo
Any Two Half-Feline/Half-Human Hairballs, Cats
Jason Derulo and his CGI-Neutered "Bulge", Cats
Tyler Perry and Tyler Perry (or Tyler Perry), A Madea Family Funeral
Sylvester Stallone & His Impotent Rage, Rambo: Last Blood
John Travolta and Any Screenplay He Accepts
Worst Director
Fred Durst, The Fanatic
James Franco, Zeroville
Adrian Grunberg, Rambo: Last Blood
Tom Hooper, Cats
Neil Marshall, Hellboy
Worst Screenplay
Cats, Lee Hall, Tom Hooper
The Haunting of Sharon Tate, Daniel Farrands
Hellboy, Andrew Cosby
A Madea Family Funeral, Tyler Perry
Rambo: Last Blood, Matthew Cirulnick, Sylvester Stallone
Worse Remake, Rip-off or Sequel
Dark Phoenix
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Hellboy
A Madea Family Funeral
Rambo: Last Blood
Worst Reckless Disregard for Human Life and Public Property
Dragged Across Concrete
The Haunting of Sharon Tate
Hellboy
Joker
Rambo: Last Blood
Razzie Redeemer Award
Eddie Murphy, Dolemite is My Name
Keanu Reeves, John Wick 3, Toy Story 4
Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems
Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
Will Smith, Aladdin
