An animated film adaptation based on the musical was initially planned by Amblimation in the 1990s, but were abandoned with the studio's closure.[24] In December 2013, Andrew Lloyd Webber, creator and composer of the musical stage production Cats, teased that Universal Pictures, which purchased film adaptation rights to Cats many years ago, was putting the project into active development.[25] In February 2016, it was reported that Tom Hooper was in negotiations to direct the film, and was considering actresses, including Suki Waterhouse, to star.[26] In May 2016, Hooper was confirmed as director.[27]